Darkest daughter
by missgrace21
Summary: What about if the darkness was supposed to find the one person that no one knew about, the one thing that Regina would have loved most!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one 

"Morning Grandpa"... A young woman calls out as she pulls her blazer off the hanger that it rests on. She quickly checks her reflection in the mirror, her long brown hair loose around her shoulders, Red lipstick and minimal eye make- up to show off her striking blue eyes.

"Morning, want a coffee?" She shakes her head.

"Not today, I am running really late. I have meeting after meeting, then a lesson with Grandma and then I am meeting up with potential clients. Are you still meeting me and Elliott for dinner tonight?" she turns to pick her high heels up from the floor, and sits on the chair to pull them on to her feet.

"One part of the day I wish you would miss is meeting with your Grandma, you better not let her teach you anything that could leave you like your mother." The girl cringes at the last word.

"No, I won't, this is just about me controlling it, She is just trying to protect me from turning into that woman, and also if she was to ever to come for me. Which I really doubt, but I am enjoying just having time with her, where we have common ground." That common ground being the woman, who was evil enough to try to get rid of the girl before she was even born, who killed her father by just pulling his heart out, and breaking it.

"Just be careful Ella, I don't want to lose another one of my girls to magic." Ella glanced at her Henry.

"Never."

Ella run up the last flight of stairs towards her office as she always did, avoiding all the people who she didn't want to see until she was safely behind her desk.

"Hey you" Someone pulled Ella from behind, she turned and there was Elliott. Elliott and Ella had met through a mutual friend; know a mutual business partner, in their publicity company Jack. He had met Elliott at a sports bar, and just assumed he would be a fit for Ella.

Which it turned out Elliott was, they had been dating for two years and working in business as for the past year. Elliott and Ella were not in each other's pockets, and were not defined by the other, but there were in love.

"Hi, have a good weekend?" They walked towards Ella's office that looked over the Hudson River.

"Lovely thank you spent the weekend with Arthur, down in Jersey. I missed you." He shut the door behind them as he pushed her towards the desk into a passionate clinch.

"I missed you too, but Grandpa wanted to go to the Hamptons, when my Grandma wasn't there and take the horses out for a ride. Elliott you know I needed that, time away from the city with just Grandpa. You didn't forget dinner did you?" Elliott smiled as he pushed himself closer to her, resting his forehead against hers. Henry loved the way that Elliott cared for Ella, he also liked the way he gave her space, space to be who she was, an independent ambitious young woman.

"No babe, you coming to mine after?" She nodded. The door burst open, surprising them both.

"Morning Miss Mills and Elliott" Jack the third man in Ella's life , and most of the time the third wheel, but Ella wouldn't have it any other way. Jack and Ella had met at Harvard, been through everything together, he knew everything. He knew what Ella was capable off, he had seen her blast a fireball into an ex-boyfriend's car, he had seen her at her worst and knew just what she was capable off. He also knew about her mother and who she really was, and why Ella was trying to never be like her. Jack had always kept the secret, he had never asked her to do anything for him and fiercely protective over her.

Elliott however, was completely clueless to what his girlfriend was capable of, he never saw the magic she possessed and he all knew of her mother was that she had abandoned Ella with Henry and Cora, in a bid to be happy. He never asked for more than that, Ella was capable now of controlling her magic so well, that he never had seen it.

"I am not Miss Mills, I am Ella do not even remind me about that woman." Elliott kissed Ella one last time and said.

"Laters Princess." Ella smiled and looked at Jack.

"See he is perfect.." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Yeah perfect, but not perfect enough for you to tell him about your magic or the fact that your mother is the Evil Queen, from the story of Snow White."

The story of Snow White that Ella never really understood, she couldn't grasp how her mother had managed to change the way that her father had died, so every other reader would somehow understand why she was evil and just forgive her. Well in a sense because as her Grandmother had told her it was just a story to everyone else.

Ella's story however was to her very true, but to her grandmother all lies, because every story she had ever told her and Henry was a lie. The lies began even before Ella was born and continued right until now. Ella was never to know the truth.

The story began when Cora had taken Daniel's heart, when she crushed it, Regina's true love was dead because Cora's intent was that Regina was going to be Queen, that was her destiny. Then a few weeks later Regina fell ill, assuming the worse Cora went to the one person who could sort this problem. Rumpelstiltskin ! Rumple told her that he couldn't kill the child, because they were the product of true love and was destined to be a powerful being, but he could do was remove the child so that Cora could give birth to her as her own. Cora was going to let her daughter have her destiny and she was going to mature and grow her granddaughter to stand by side as Regina's sister. Rumple though had other ideas, he knew what Regina was going to capable off, The Dark Curse. He warned Cora, so she did what she thought was best and took the child and decided that until Regina had completed The Dark Curse, the child would not be born. The last straw though for Mother and Daughter was when Regina pushed Cora through the looking glass, cursing her and setting a path for her own daughter's own destiny, as the one who could kill her or save her. A daughter that she would never know existed. Once the Dark Curse was enacted and Henry was killed Rumple brought him back and sent him to the modern world, New York, with no memory of Regina killing him. Where Cora, Henry and Ella lived quiet happily, until the saviour broke the curse. Henry remembered most things apart from Regina killing him, and he divorced Cora. Ella chose her Grandpa over Cora.

"Ella, Darling." Cora stood in the doorway of her Manhattan apartment, smiling at her granddaughter. Ella looked stressed; her hair was now tied up in top bun. Ella looked tired it was only lunchtime, Cora worried for her.

"Hi, can we make this quick today, I don't really have time. Also could you ask someone to get me a Starbucks please Grandma?" Cora smiled again, nodding.

"I think you need a break sweetheart, but we need to practise too. Don't you think you should start spending some more time in your own bed, rather than in Elliott's?"

Cora had begun teaching Ella magic, ten years ago after an incident involving Ella a picture of Regina and her dorm room. Cora remembered Ella's shaky voice at the end of the line, telling her that she was really close to being kicked out of school because she had set her room a blaze, because she was claiming it had happened with just a flick of the wrist.

"I actually haven't stayed with him for four days; I have just been really busy. We have this big marketing contract coming up and I am working on that, because if we get it I can finally get out of New York and open a new office in California. I also spent the weekend with Grandpa, just helping him with new recipes for the cookbook." Ella smirked, knowing that she had stunned her Grandmother.

"California? Ella that is miles away from here, from everything that you have here! What about me? What about Elliott and Jack?" Cora raised her hand, fully aware that she was about to pull out a fireball at any second.

"Firstly California because we could get a big house, with lots of land for the horses, that you have been threatening to get rid of for years. Secondly you could always come with me and Grandpa, I could afford to buy you a place too. Thirdly a man is not my whole happiness it's just part of it, they could always visit." Cora sighed.

"You and your ideas, you're so much like Regina." Ella stepped back, shocked by Cora talking about her mother. Her very own fireball flaring in her hand at just the thought of her mother.

"NO I am not because I would never kill Elliott just because he didn't accept what I wanted. I will never be evil.." Cora stepped towards her grabbing her hand and putting the fireball out with ease.

"Ella calm down, I don't mean it like. Forget I said anything." Cora pulled her into her arms aware that even though Ella had more control of her powers than ten years ago, her mother was something that made her go dark.

"Grandma everyone keeps talking about her today, I don't know why. It's making me feel like she is really close. Like a couple of months back when my powers went all funny and I had to go to the Hamptons to get away. I am scared; I don't really know her and what she is truly capable off." Cora didn't want to admit it either but she knew that her daughter was close, too close and she knew it wouldn't be long before Ella met her destiny a destiny without her grandparents…

Ella shut her office door; she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. There was a message from Henry and Elliott.

"Hi Ella, I won't be able to meet you for dinner. Cora and I are off to the Hamptons to try and sort out the cars to sell, seems like she really wants this California adventure. I told you she would come around. Good luck sweetheart. Have a nice rest of the week and remember Princess I love you. Goodnight" Ella smiled, she was confused but happy that her grandparents where getting on for her sake.

"Hi Ella, The last client me and Jack had has taken us to Las Vegas to see their newest venue, so Sorry I am not going to be able to make dinner. Tell your Grandpa I am sorry. I love you babe. Laters." Ella walked into the New York, aware for the first time in years she was about to spend an evening alone, No one to protect her or make her feel safe. Ella made the choice to call for a taxi, stop for her fourth Starbucks of the day and walk the rest of the way home.

Sipping on her Starbucks, watching as the world flew by couples walking hand in hand. Families coming back from their shopping trips, hailing taxis or heading towards the subway. Ella found herself looking at a mother and daughter walking hand in hand. Sometimes Ella wished she had that, a mother who loved her mother, who wanted her mother, who hadn't killed her father, a mother who hadn't killed entire villages, a mother who at least tried to be with her. As the tears started flowing, with a heavy heart she carried on walking, before someone grabbed her and pulled her into a dark alley.

"Hello Sweetheart, Don't you look like your mother…" Ella faced the woman who had taken her and pinned her to the wall, who was magically strangling her.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ella was used to be strangled like this, when she didn't do as her Grandmother asked this was what she would do. Cora always told her not to struggle and try to fight back. Ella flicked her wrist.

"I think you do Ella Mills, Your mother is Regina Mills the Evil Queen, Don't tell me Cora didn't tell you? " Ella smiled and attempted to laugh, as the grip tightened around her neck.

"Of course I know who she is and I hate her. So I don't know what you achieving by doing this to me." Ella commented as the grip began to make it hard for her to breathe.

"I am trying to achieve the impossible and put the darkness in the one place it belongs." Ella raised her head as the fireball finally appeared in her hand.

"Where is that? Regina?" Ella threw the fireball at the woman, loosening her grip around her neck. The woman shook her head.

"No you. The daughter that she doesn't even know exist, the daughter that as soon as she claps eyes on, will kill the two things that you both have in common Henry Senior and Cora." Ella felt her anger rise. Cora had told her that Regina had given birth to her then left.

"Of course she does, she gave birth to me for god sake." The blonde woman shook her head.

"Cora has filled your mind with shit. She has told you so many lies… But I have to take you back to Storybrooke, take this darkness from me and put it in you. " The grip tightened again, Ella called out, the pain becoming unbearable.

"Emma Swan, you put that girl down now." Emma shook her head again, Ella relieved that someone had heard her calling out.

"Regina, do you know who this little bitch is to you? Do you have any idea what she is capable of? She could kill both of us if we let her..." Regina shook her head, pulling a knife out of her coat pocket. Ella gasped, as the tears started again she knew what would happen if she looked up.

"Dark one I command you to put this girl down." Emma automatically put the girl down. Ella fell to the floor aware that her mother was there; she held on to her neck and looked down. Emma then turned to Regina and said

"Why are you saving her? She will be the death of you." With that Emma disappeared in a puff of smoke. Regina reached out her hand to the girl, who refused to take it, afraid of what would happen when their eyes met.

"Who are you?" Ella quickly caught her breath; she threw out a warning shot, a fireball to be exact. Avoiding her mother's gaze, she grabbed her bag and ran. She got to the door; she didn't turn to see if she had been followed. She typed into the code for the intercom, ran the stairs to her apartment, and unlocked the door to be faced with Regina.

"Who are you?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two 

"Who are you?" Regina called out to the girl again, she was trying to look the girl straight in the eye but she refused to make contact with her.

"It really doesn't matter, I need you to leave me and go back to where you came from." Ella replied shaking, she was aware of what she should do, but this woman's voice, her appearance wasn't what she was expecting. She looked like a normal person dressed in a smart pantsuit, her brown hair loose, she looked like Ella a business woman, not this evil woman her grandmother had painted her to be.

"I am not going anywhere! Till you explain to me why Emma had you by your neck? Why will you be the death of me?" Regina walked forward now aware, that this young woman was hiding something.

"I don't really know what your friend Emma wanted, but I know what I am destined to do. Just leave before I do something that I will regret." Ella backed away again, colliding with the door against her back. It was taking all she had not to let the fear and the anger to take a hold of her, but she needed to just make this woman leave.

"What you destined to do? I doubt you could even take me down girl, let alone kill me. If you were going to do that a killer would have looked me in the eyes by now." Regina was aware that she was bothering this girl, she just didn't understand why; she just wanted to answers, she couldn't understand Emma's reasoning for finding this girl.

"You don't know the half of it, if you really don't know who I am to you. Then this will make this much easier." Ella flicked her wrist, causing a fireball to appear, Regina stepped back now surprised at the girls power. She could see that something was happening inside the girl something dark, and it felt like a lot of whatever has possessed her was aimed at Her.

"Who are you? And why do you think you can kill me?" Ella pulled away as Regina flicked her own wrist putting the other's fireball out. Ella flinched as her mother magic, took out her flame, the only thing that made Ella feel like she had just a little bit of control.

"My name is Ella Mills, and I am Twenty-eight years old, I have no father and I have no mother. I have no idea what your friend wanted from me. I have no idea what you want from me. Just get the Hell out of my house. " She stepped forwards, staring at the floor, fully aware that Regina's eyes where burning against her skin. This was too close, this was way to close and Ella knew she should have killed her the moment that she had laid eyes on her.

"Well that is a really sad story sweetheart, but I don't understand why that gives you the right to kill me." The other girl turned away, aware that if she looked at Regina that could be the end of everything that she held dear.

"Can't you see who I am; If I look you in the eyes will kill the two things that I love most. You have already taken so much from me; I am not letting you take anything else." Regina moved closer, close enough that Ella could feel her mother's breath on her skin. Regina was angry now, she had enough of having to try to guess what this little girl had to do with Emma and her darkness.

"I don't know who you are dear; all I say is an amateur who won't even look me in the eyes. The two things you love most won't die if you just take a second and look at me." Regina pulled the girls face towards her, finally getting the eye contact that she wanted. As Ella looked at her mother in her eyes, she felt the pull of her heart; she knew it was too late now. The tears started and there was no going back.

"Daniel" Regina called out moments later, she could see him just in this girls eyes. Ella flinched at the sound of her mother calling out her father's name.

"You don't say his name, you don't have the right" Regina pulled away, shocked at seeing those eyes looking into hers again. In her head she was thinking that this girl could be his daughter, or he could possibly have lied to her all those years ago, that he had never loved till her.

"What… Why should I not say his name? What have you been told about him and me?" . Ella fell to the floor it all becoming too much, in a matter of minutes, she had lost her grandparents and know she was about to lose herself.

"That you killed him, you took his heart out and you crushed it because you wanted to be Queen, because that came before him, before me. Now I know what you want to do, but I need to make sure I do it first." Regina lent down to the girl sensing her fear because she felt it herself.

"I didn't… I never.. Why would I? I loved him." Ella looked at her again and laughed.

"Love you don't know what love is, Grandma told me all about you.. she told me all you did killing whole villages, squeezing people's hearts until they died in front of you , tormenting Snow White just because she knew what you were nothing but a heartless murderer." Regina cringed at hearing her former sins from someone who looked on the outside as someone so innocent, someone who too had her heart broken by those she trusted most.

"Well my dear your Grandma lied about a lot of things. Cora killed Daniel because she wanted me to be Queen, she wanted me to be regal more than find my true love. Snow White played a part in that and I held a grudge for far too long. That woman was me then not the me now." Regina held her breath, waiting for the girl's reply, but nothing came.

"Why are you doing this to me? What difference does it make to you? Who is your Grandmother?" Regina yelled watching as Ella pulled herself together, wiping the tears away.

"My Grandma is Cora and are you telling me she lied to me about everything…. Are you telling me that you really don't know who I am?" Ella replied as Regina sat beside her on the floor feeling helpless.

"What?" she replied stumbling on her words, realising just who this girl was.

"Look at me, and tell me you can't see it." Ella was shouting now, as she stared at her mother, anger rising overcoming the emotion of what was happening.

Regina looked and all she saw was Daniel's eyes, this girl who had dark brown hair like hers, she was definitely magical but there was not a chance. She had given up her right to be a mother just after his death. She can't even remember being pregnant, let alone giving birth. Anyway if Ella was twenty-eight she would have been born just before the Dark Curse, after her mother had been thrown through the looking glass, after she had killed her father. .. Regina shook her head.

"No you can't be" Regina stumbled, shocked.

"I can't be your daughter. Can't I?" Ella had said it for both of them.

"How?" Regina's mind went into overdrive. It wasn't possible she had chosen being evil over being a mother, she can't even remember being pregnant. It then came to Regina the months that followed Daniel's death the weeks of sickness that her mother took away with a spell.

"Well I don't know because I always thought you had me and then you had left me with my Grandparents, Henry And Cora.." Regina interrupted her she was confused.

" My Dad, he's here he is alive…" Ella shook her head, as it dawned on her again that he wasn't, not now.

"I don't know, I need to go the Hamptons, I need to see them." Then Ella disappeared in her own purple cloud of purple smoke. Leaving Regina in a state aware of everything that she had gained and everything she had lost in just an evening.

Ella turned the lock of her grandparents' house, phone to her ear calling for an ambulance.

"Grandpa… Grandpa" She ran round the first floor spotting Cora's Coat hanging over the downstairs banister. Then she saw it the blood going up the stairs.

"Grandpa….nooooo" Ella screamed out as the paramedics rushed in and began working on Henry's lifeless body, she kissed him quickly and then went in search of her Grandmother.

"I need to find my Grandma, please try.. He's the only man who has even been a father to me." Ella run the last few steps to find her grandmother calling for her.

"Ella, Ella… Don't believe a word that woman says" A purple cloud appeared in the hallway, as Ella laid over Cora.

"I think it's a little late for that Mother" Regina, had found her mother with ease, she just called out for her and for her daughter. Ella looked up at the woman that hours ago she hated, to face the woman who had kept them apart for so long.

" You lied to her, you took the one thing that could have kept Daniel in my life forever, you made me everything that you wanted. Then you try to make her think that she needed to kill me, you've made her dark, resentful, hateful and now she is just as messed up as I was. Messed up enough that The darkness wants to suck her in and kill her because she is that much of a threat. Or let me guess you knew that?" Cora shook her head.

" I never lied to you my darling Ella, your mother never loved you." Regina sneered at that comment.

" You never gave her or me the chance." Ella pulled away realising that everything Regina was saying was true.

"Why did you deserve the chance? To have my granddaughter, when you were so keen on seeking vengeance, don't tell me you would have loved her, don't tell me you would have stopped trying to kill Snow White, for her. Don't tell me you wouldn't have Henry for her, she would have been pulled into the darkness with you as a Mother. I did you a favour I took away a huge responsibility a problem. Why would you want a bastard child? " Cora replied, she was struggling now and she was not only fighting for her life, she was fighting to keep the one thing in her life that she loved her Ella.

"Because I would have had something, if you had let me I could have loved her, I could have changed. I might not even have been Queen, or I could have been and Leopold would have probably have taken her as his own, she could have been a princess. But you decided that you knew what was best for us." Regina felt the tears coming to the surface, everything that she had hidden for so long, all the pain that her mother had caused, this was the ultimate betrayal.

"Even when I am dead, she will never be yours… Ella.. Ella." But Ella was gone she was down the hall, holding her Grandpa's hand as the paramedics called his death.

"Looks like she like me she always preferred my father." Regina stood now and ran to her daughter as Cora took her last breath again watching as her family grieved for someone other than her again.

The darkness clouded over the New York Skyline as Ella looked out her apartment window, tears staining her face, the pain more real than ever and the realisation that her mother was right Cora had made her dark, for her own benefit to keep them apart. Ella had been lied to her whole life. Regina was never given the chance to be her mother; she didn't even know that Ella even existed. Ella knew it was time to give this woman a chance, she still has questions but she was willingly to give her a try if not for herself for her Grandpa. She was willingly to go with this woman, and say goodbye to Elliott, To Jack and the job that she had worked so hard for. Ella knew that the only way she was ever going to be able to understand herself was to face the woman who played a part in creating her.

Regina watched from a safe distance as she attempted to make two cups of strong coffee, the day's events had been hard enough but they still needed to find their common ground. They needed to talk and Regina needed to take Ella with her somewhere she was safe. Regina needed to get home, Home to Robin, Henry, Roland, the Charming's, Hook they needed her. They needed her to stop the darkness within Emma, they needed her to control it, stop it and help find Merlin. Regina had now gained someone else who needed her, a little girl who had never been loved by a mother before.

"Ella, I am really sorry that we had to meet like this, but I need to go home I need to go back to Storybrooke. See there I am mayor and have a son and family who needs me.." Regina stopped her family , her little family that was about to be blown apart, by a child that no one knew existed.

Ella heard her loud and clear Regina's family needed her that explained a lot, Regina was just going to take Ella with her and then give her over to this Emma woman.

"You can go, Go back to your family and your son. I will be fine." Ella didn't look at Regina this time for a reason she was hurt, not angry, hurt because even after the day she had just had her mother didn't want her. She was going to be left again, an orphan for the first time.. at least she had Elliott and Jack.

"No I am saying that we both need to go home. Where I can protect you, because here I can't control my magic and I can't stop Emma next time. Our family can protect you! My Storybrooke family can protect you. Come with me .. I think we have a lot to learn about each other." Regina smiled.

"Hey Elliott, I am really sorry but I have to go away for a few weeks my mother has found me, I need to go and give her a second chance. Everybody deserve a second chance don't they babe. Could you let Jack know where I am. I am off to Maine babe, you know my number call me. " Elliott listened to the message the next day aware that he's plan was coming together, Emma had done her bit by sending Regina in Ella's direction and now Regina was bringing home the one who was always meant to be the dark one.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three 

The sun was breaking as they pulled into this quaint little town, called Storybrooke. Ella looked around taking it all in, the clock tower, even the diner had a fairy tale edge and she knew that this was not New York as they pulled up outside a big white mansion.

Regina stepped out the car, looking across to see if Ella had done the same. Ella hesitated she sighed, aware that she was about to face a family who didn't even know she was alive. She wasn't even sure she wanted to meet the family that Regina had made in Storybrooke, the life that she had a feeling she wouldn't be part off.

"Ella, come on, it's not going to be that bad. I doubt that they will not accept you when they know who you are. I will not leave you on your own. Ella.." Regina walked to the passenger side and opened the door. Ella looked up at her, she was so unsure.

" I just don't want to make a mistake. I'm just here to be with you till this blow over." Regina looked down to her aware that this girl was more scared of the unknown than even she was.

"Let's just try this, You don't have to like it and when it's all over you can go home. If that's what you want. I just want to try to look after you the way my mother never gave me a chance. Anyway it's only the boys here, they don't bite. Just trust me." That was the issue Ella was struggling to trust at the moment if the last forty-eight hours had taught her anything, the only person she could rely on was herself. She pulled herself out of the car reaching for her bag, she walked round opened the boot to get her suitcase. She had to try and she knew that, this was all for her Grandpa.

The walked the path to the front door in silence, both aware that this was a massive step. The key turned in the lock, Regina held the door open for Ella.

"After you, sweetheart." Ella hesitated, took a deep breath and walked into the large hallway.

"Regina, is that you. We were waiting for you to get here before we started breakfast." A man appeared in front of them, in his plaid pyjamas and scruffy bead and hair.

" Hey, Ella this is Robin,." As Regina introduced him, a sly smile came across her face, as he walked over to her and give a peck on the cheek. Regina had missed Robin, ever since they were reunited they hadn't been apart.

"Hi, you okay? Who is this? "Robin looked Ella up and down confused to say the least because he could see something in her that he couldn't understand, she looked so much like.

"This is Ella, and turns out she is my daughter. My mother took her from me before I even knew I was pregnant. I explain it all to you later properly, but right now I just want to get Ella settled." Ella nodded towards Robin, as she moved closer to her mother aware that Regina was shaking still as she talked about her mother. The same thing Ella used to do when anyone mentioned Regina.

"I am going to introduce her to the boys and then take her upstairs to the guest room and get her comfortable. Then we should gather up the others, and talk about our Emma problem." Regina was aware of Ella hiding behind her like a small child, she smiled at her, taking her hand and pulled her towards the kitchen. Robin took Ella's case and disappeared up the stairs. He couldn't believe how accepting Regina was being of this girl.

"Mom.. Your home.. Is my other mom okay? Did she hurt anyone?" Henry asked as he stood up from his seat and Roland ran towards her legs, pulling her away from Ella's grasp.

"No Henry and I don't know where she has gone. Henry and Roland meet Ella" Henry looked at the girl, she was like a slightly younger version of his mother, but at that moment Ella looked as if she could either scream or burst into tears. This was all becoming too much, she should have just said no to staying here, she should have stayed at the bed and breakfast she had seen as they had pulled into town. Regina had said "no" because how did Ella expect to be protected if she wasn't even under the same roof as her mother.

"Is she yours?" Regina nodded as she pulled Roland up into her arms. Ella looked at Henry and smiled towards him.

"Hey, it's a really long story which I am sure Regina will tell you one day. But right now I just want to go and have a lay down. The last two days, have just been too much." Regina looked at her daughter and put Roland down on the floor once again. She took Ella's hand once more; she knew that look the young girl was finding this all too much.

"So this will be your room, you have your own bathroom, so don't have to share with anyone. If you anything like me I'm guessing you like your space." Ella nodded, and sat down on the bed, relief washing over her the first step of being here was over.

"Why are you doing this?" Ella asked as Regina, started to pull a towel out of the cardboard for her.

"Because you are my daughter, we have years to make up for and because I think if we give each other a chance. We could work this out and look out for one another. I understand if you don't want too, I just want to try." Regina walked over to the bed and took Ella's hand.

"I know you're not a childlike Roland and Henry but I want to try to be a mother to you. I want to protect and look after you the way I do them." Ella felt the tears start then. She wanted all those things but she was scared, because she still didn't trust the woman who was holding her hand. How could she, she knew too much.

"I want that too but just give me some time please." Regina wiped Ella's tears away and smiled.

"We've got all the time in the world dear. Now get some rest okay. We will talk more when you are ready." Regina got up and headed towards the door.

"Regina.. Thank you." Regina turned back around.

"What are you thanking me for?" Ella looked up at her mother and smiled.

" Thank you for understanding and thank you for trying. You never know it might be the best thing that could have happened right now."

Hours later Ella was just waking up from her sleep, hearing voices from downstairs aware that she was probably the topic of conversation. She looked at herself in the mirror, she looked the worst she had seen herself since she set her dorm room on fire because of Regina. Now she was in Regina's home, amongst her family, staring into her mother's mirror, looking at the house that Regina had decorated for herself, never knowing that she had a daughter who was living and breathing. This was all going to take some getting used too.

Downstairs Regina was still trying to explain how she realised this girl was her daughter and about how they came to meet. Explaining to Robin and Henry that she didn't know everything that she knew enough that this girl could be trusted, because she was after all a part of Regina's family. Regina didn't want to admit that this was all too much for her, too much to take on a daughter, who wanted to kill her, who she never knew existed, who had been told so many lies, it was going to take her a lot to trust Regina, she knew that but she just wanted to be given a chance.

Ella sat on the bed once she was redressed and showered into some fresh jeans, t-shirt, boots and her hair just sitting up in a ponytail. She couldn't help but cry a little as she looked at her phone the picture of her and her Grandpa staring back at her, The fact that Elliott never called her back made her realise that she had never felt more alone. Then came a knock at the door, Ella stood up and looked directly at the boy who had been given every chance she hadn't to be able to call Regina "Mom".

"Hey, I thought I could hear you moving, Mom and Robin have gone out to see if they can find my other Mom in town. She told me to leave you be, but me and Roland we wondered if you wanted to come down and help us cook some dinner." Ella smiled at Henry this boy was a teenager, he was probably more scared than she was, more unaware of what the darkness looked like when it had taken hold, unaware of whether she was going to be his friend or his sister or whether she would decide she didn't want anything to do with him.

"I would love to, so your other mom is Emma then? Explain that to me?" As they walked down the stairs closely followed, by Roland who stalked behind them.

"A story for another day I think. I think both of us just want to get to know you. We want you to feel like you're part of this family no matter how long you stay." Henry told her as he led her to the kitchen.

"Gina said that you lived with your Grandpa, that he used to cook with you all the time, just like he did when she was a girl." Ella nodded at the little boy, bemused to think that a woman, who was a strong as her mother was, never had more children that she actually knew about.

"Yeah I did, he was like my Dad you see, he showed me lots of things, how to cook, ride a bike, drive a car and was with me through everything." Ella sighed as she remembered everything again; it was painful knowing that when she went back to New York he wouldn't be in their apartment anymore.

"My daddy is trying to teach me and Henry how to aim arrows. They can't ever miss..." Roland tells Ella, she smiles at the little boy as she takes his hand.

"Don't tell my Mom that though, because she will not like Robin for teaching us how to do that." Ella laughed pulling Roland up into her arms, and up into the kitchen stool.

" I promise I won't, so what are you cooking?" Ella asked

"Mom's speciality lasagne"

Meanwhile Regina and Robin where in Granny's diner along with Snow, Charming, Hook and Belle giving them an update on what had happened the day before. Retelling the story again was killing Regina; she wished she had left it for another day. Hopefully by the time her and Robin got home Ella would be awake and they could talk some more.

"Regina, are you sure we can trust this girl?" Charming was first to ask the question on everyone's lips. They were all scared of the unknown.

"Come on Regina… she tried to kill you." Hook chimed in now, wanting to make sure he was attempting like everyone else to get the best for his girlfriend.

"Of course she can be trusted, she is my daughter. I know she tried to kill me but that was just my mother lying to her, not giving her the chance to make her own mind up. Sound familiar." Regina blasted she didn't enjoy having to explain her decisions especially to these people who had not even met Ella.

"If Regina says we can trust her then we can trust her, we just need to find Emma now, before she succeeds in what she was trying to do to Ella to somebody else." Snow spoke up now, she knew to keep Regina on side, they had to show her that the supported her choices. Snow trusted her Stepmother, she just wished that Regina had been given a chance with her daughter because she might not have done half the things that she had done. Things could have been very different, Emma she might have been with her from a baby, she might not have had to be the saviour, and she wouldn't be letting the darkness in this moment.

"I don't think she is going to try to do it to someone else Snow, I think she is after the thing that Regina took from her with the dagger." Belle explained, because if anything somebody needed to see that the dark one doesn't go after someone for nothing.

"What do you mean?" Robin looks over to Belle aware that out of anyone she should understand how the darkness and the dagger work.

"I think Emma was after her because she has like her the potential for darkness, but unlike Emma she didn't have people close enough to stop the darkness from taking over." Regina stood now, walking towards Belle.

"What do you mean the potential? The darkness came to me before it even went to Emma" Regina looked at Belle, waiting for her answer.

"The Darkness went to you first because you where the Evil Queen, but what's even better than that, the daughter of the Evil Queen, who if going by what you said hated you. Who also happens to be the product of true love, who was raised by your mother.." Snow stopped her before she could even finish.

"But Belle, surely the darkness would have gone straight from Rumple, to find.." Snow was interrupted by Hook, who could see where this was heading.

"So what you are saying is that this Ella is where the darkness always belonged..." Belle nodded aware that Regina's glare was becoming more like her former self.

"So all we have to do is find Merlin and get him to take the darkness from Emma and put it in Ella." Charming filled in the blanks. Regina stepped back, surely the heroes where not considering taking a life for Emma's.

"We must find Merlin then, we have to take this girl with us. Then we let him take the darkness from Emma and put it in Ella. Then we take the dagger and we send Ella as far away from this place as possible." Robin grabbed Regina's hand, he might now know this girl, but he knew that Regina wasn't going to let that happen. She wasn't going to let her leave her again; she had brought Ella with her to protect her, to use her powers to help them on their path to find Emma.

"It would work if we find Merlin, he would know what to do next, and he could protect all of us. We would have Emma back; we would all be safe again. Regina what do you think?" Regina felt it now, the anger rising in her chest as the glass on the counter broke into pieces.

"No, that is not the answer. She might have tried to kill me but she doesn't have that kind of darkness in her, besides she has not killed anyone yet. Emma killed Cruella that started her on this path. My daughter will not be the dark one, we just need to find Merlin and he will tell us how to save Emma, without using Ella. I am not letting you sacrifice my daughter, for yours. That is not happening." Regina shook her head, as Robin pulled her into him, holding her trying to calm her down, but failing.

"Regina, it's not like we asking you to sacrifice Henry, we asking you to sacrifice a girl you've just met to save your friend, save all of us." Hook yelled at her now, as Robin let Regina go, and walked towards Hook. The two men stood face to face unsure, who was going to start this.

"I suggest you shut up Mate, Don't push me or her.. She has told you no so that's the end of it. So I suggest you back off." Robin might not know Ella either but he knew if he was in Regina's shoes and this was Roland, he wouldn't let this happen either.

"Robin, she didn't even know the kid existed till yesterday. She can't say she would care if this girl became the dark one or if she died." Robin lifted his arm and let his fist meet Hook's face, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Right that is enough now. We are supposed to be united, together to Save Emma. " Charming held his hand out to Hook, as Regina pulled Robin away from Hook.

"Well we not united if Regina won't go along with the plan. We should just get rid of this girl." Snow shook her head, she had enough now. If this had been Emma a few years back she would be doing the same things as Regina protecting her.

"That isn't the point Hook, the point is that Regina is her mother, and she wants to try and I am with her we will not sacrifice Ella for Emma, That's not what Emma would want." Snow spoke up again. It was too late though, because Regina had had enough, she grabbed Robin's hand and they both disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

"Well done Killian, we just lost the one person and her daughter who could be the key to finding and saving Emma." Charming told him sarcastically.

Snow white was playing on the television when Regina and Robin appeared in the living room. The kitchen was a mess , the dining table still had five plates on it, three a mess , two that had never been used , there was still half a lasagne on the table. Regina walked towards the kitchen, surveying the mess the three had made.

"Looks like they have been busy. Making my kitchen a mess. I leave them for an afternoon and this is what they do." Regina yelled as started to load the dishwasher.

"Regina, come here you have to see this." Regina shook her head, and walked towards the living room and to where Robin was pointing. There curled up on the Sofa was her three children Roland curled in tight to Ella, Henry leaning his head on her shoulder as they all slept.

"They've had a good afternoon then." Regina smiles and turns to Robin pulling him close.

"I should have been with them; I shouldn't have gone to that meeting. Look at them they look like a little family." Robin kissed her on the lips, putting his forehead to hers.

"I think it was for the best that you were not, would you really have sat and watched the story of how you tormented Snow White, especially after you have lived it. They needed to bond with her, we can spend time tomorrow when they go to school. " Regina realised that Robin was right, Henry and Roland trusting and building a relationship with Ella meant that she was everything that she thought she was a good soul.

"There's no way I could turn my back on her now." Robin smiled at her.

"I am not asking you too, the only person who did was Hook. Should we wake them, or just curl up in bed ourselves and hope that they don't stay here all night." Robin asked her.

"I think we should try some lasagne and see if this girl is really related to me…" She took his hand leading him away, she stopped and walked back. Finding a blanket for each of the three cuddled up on the sofa, kissing them gently on the head.

"Goodnight dears."


	4. Chapter 4

The morning sun beamed through the curtain, as the day broke. The children scrambling to find shoes and complete uniforms, Regina trying to sort out two lunches, out of the shopping that Robin had brought while she had been gone. He was hopeless, she would have to go out again at some point in the week. Robin and Ella were just sat watching the commotion while drinking their Coffee.

"Well this is very stressful." Robin said, Regina gestured with a knife towards him.

"For you I mean… are you sure you don't want some help?" He stood up, when she gestured to him to sit.

"You would be more of a hindrance than help. So Ella you sure you are ready for today? Meeting the others?" Ella nodded as she took another gulp of her cup. Regina was aware that the others well they wanted to do a swap for Emma for Ella, but she knew she couldn't carry on without them so they would have to meet Ella. She couldn't leave Ella at the house alone, not now because if they knew that Ella was meant to take Emma place, there was no doubt that Emma did too.

"Bye Mom." Henry shouted as he grabbed both his and Roland's lunches from her hand.

"Bye have a good day." She walked with them both to the front door gave them both a kiss on the cheek and watched as they walked into the sun. Regina looked towards the other two who were still sitting enjoying their coffee. She had plans for them both; Robin would go and see his merry men, see if they had seen Emma. Ella and herself well they were going to meet with Snow and Belle to work out how they could help.

"So what's first on our agenda than Boss lady..." Ella joked as she got up from her chair and grabbed her coat from off the coat hook. After waking up on the sofa, the night before Ella had managed to wake Henry and pick up Roland and get both into bed. It had been a good evening she had learnt a lot about her and her boyfriend. She was starting to see the Regina that they could see and not the one that Ella had always been told about.

"She catches on fast this girl, So I shall be seeing you both for dinner at grannies with the boys." Robin chimed in, he had plans of his own, which may or may not have been the same as Regina's but at least with his merry men he could be the boss.

"You guessed right, Check in though. Let me know you're safe." Regina told him, as he kissed her on the lips.

"You do the same Mi'lady, Bye Ella have fun with this one to day. I think she is on a major mission this morning hope you have eaten enough to get you through to Grannies later on." Robin told her as he took his own coat, and playfully winked at both women.

"Of course I am ready, I was born ready." Ella replied as Robin headed down the path. It was just Regina and Ella now, Ella knew what was coming she was going to meet more people who would judge her, more people she had to try and trust.

"After you, I need to lock the house and put the protection spell on it, there's the car key; I was assuming you wanted to drive my car. But remember it's a classic." Ella smiled, in just two days they were doing better than she could have expected, her mother clearly trusted her even if the trust wasn't recuperated. Ella was still scared of trusting someone for most of her life she had been manipulated into hating.

"Are you serious?" Regina nodded, aware that she had probably just made Ella's day. She was surprized how connected she felt to Ella already considering they had been able to spent much time together since they had arrived in Storybrooke.

"I am serious, just wait for me and warm it up." Ella walked away, as Regina locked the door and a circle of purple magic run round the house. She followed Ella down the path, climbing into the passenger seat.

"Snow and Belle are waiting for us in the library. I didn't think it was fair to throw you in yesterday. It was a rough forty-eight hours. Be nice when this is all over to have a bit of normality. I promise it's not always like this." Ella nodded as she pulled the car off the drive and headed in the direction her mother had told her.

"I just thought this was normal, for people who once were something of a fairy tale, surely you always have something new to face, to deal with to overcome." Regina thought to herself, that she was right, there was always something, whether it be dealing with losing Henry, a hellbat or Rumpelstiltskin. Ella was right there was never normal in Storybrooke.

"Your right, but when I created this place, I did it so no one would get a happy ending but me, but now it's all blown up in face because every day there is something new. Always something to fight, sort or organise. I really don't understand why I decided that I should be Mayor again, it's more hassle than its worth. I should have just let Snow handle it ." Ella turned to her mother.

"I think that they call it karma." Regina laughed fully aware that for all of her sins, she was probably still repaying her debts.

"I suppose you can say that. Any way we need to talk about you? So what your life like in New York? Friends, Boyfriends?" Ella smiled because this was her mother's attempt to get to know the girl outside of all the stuff she had told her about her times with her Grandpa and all the things that Cora had ever told her.

" Well there is my best friend Jack , I met him when I was studying in Harvard. We just bonded about being from broken families, his mother passed away when he was a kid, and his father walked out of him so he went into social care when he was twelve. We understood each other. He was also the first person who knew about what I was capable; he was with me the night that I set fire to my dorm room." Regina Stopped her.

"You what? How?" Ella smiled, not sure if she should tell her mother how. She didn't want to keep bringing up their past, but she knew that Regina had the right to know.

"I saw your picture in the paper, something about how you were one of the best Mayor or something, well you'd never guess that made me angry. Just to see you being held up as this amazing person, after all I knew about you. Angry enough that I set fire to my whole dorm room, they tried to get rid of me for that. Grandma sorted it though, I think she paid them off.." Regina knew that the girl hated her, but not that much, not that much that her magic could be controlled by it. She can remember hating Snow and her mother that much, but not to the point that she let her magic control itself. She could always control when it happened.

" Was everyone alright?" Ella nodded and laughed.

"You're really not the Evil queen anymore are you? No, no one was hurt, that were all at a party that me and Jack were not invited too because we were just the strange orphan kids." Regina raised her eyebrow at the "Evil queen" comment.

"Less of the Evil. And who's this Elliott that you have been trying to call?" Ella looked away, because not once had he answered, she knew they were back from Las Vegas because she had spoken to Jack. Jack was concerned that Ella had been so willingly to go with this woman who for most of her life she had hated.

"Elliott is my boyfriend, but at the moment he isn't answering his phone. Which is really strange, he normally always answers but Jack said since they've got back he's been disappearing for hours and then reappearing. I am hoping he will call me soon, especially when he finds out about Grandpa." Regina held her breath, aware that she had played a part in all of this; that by forcing Ella to look at her, she had killed him again. Ella was crying as she pulled into the parking space alongside the library.

"Ella I am really sorry, I'm guessing you loved him a lot didn't you?" Ella undid her seatbelt and looked towards her mother.

"I Did he was the only person who tried to make me understand you, he wanted me to realise that there was good in you , that sometimes revenge can do strange things to you. He was the only person who truly loved me, who didn't try to change me and who wanted me to be just happy." Regina felt her own tears falling as Ella said those words, the last thing he had said to her before she had ripped his heart out.

"That's what he always said to me. I wished things could have been different, I wish you could have been with me from the beginning; my father would still be with us. We could have been happy together." Regina took her daughter's hand. If only she could go back , back to the start , back to Daniel.

"But they can't happen now, it's too late. I understand that, it was part of the curse Rumpelstiltskin put on both us. We just have to work on ensuring what he wanted can't happen. We have to work whatever this is for us it has to end with neither of us being dead. We have to do this together for Grandpa." Regina pulled Ella towards her into a hug.

" I am not going to kill you and know I have found you I am not letting you go" Regina remembered the conversation with the others from yesterday. Regina wasn't going to let anything happen to either of them, she wasn't going to let Ella leave her side, not now and not ever.

Snow and Belle were pacing now getting impatient, Regina had told them the day before that she would bring Ella here to meet them, on her terms. Snow had persuaded Charming to distract Hook in the woods with Robin.

"Morning," Regina opened the door , followed by the younger Brunette, whose hair was tied in a top ponytail she was wearing jeans, high top boots with a baggy sweater. Just looking at her she seemed lost, somehow. Snow found herself drawn to her, because she could see the Regina that had saved her years ago.

"Hi, I'm Snow and this is Belle" Snow introduced herself and Belle to the Girl, who looked up to them and nodded.

"Hey, I'm Ella. I've read all about you both, I'm surprised that you're working with the evil queen." Ella couldn't help it because all she knew of these women was what she had read. She saw her mother cringe; she hoped that her mother could understand why she had said it. It wasn't meant to hurt her it was just saying what she had seen before.

"Well, we can all change. We just need to come together to find Merlin, you Mom thinks if we work with you, that we can hopefully help find my daughter. Pull the darkness out of her." Ella smiled at Snow as she spoke; she was the first person who had referred to Regina as Ella "mom."

"Well isn't Merlin likely to be in Camelot? Isn't he like one of Arthur's trusted men?" Ella asked them all.

"Well he may be, but we have to find a way to get there, which is proving very difficult at the moment." Regina told Ella. Belle walked towards, one hand behind her back.

"Well if you had stayed last night , we could have shown you what the sorcerer's apprentice gave us?" Regina walked towards Belle who was holding out a wand.

"What is it?" Ella asked as she took it from the women's hand. She felt a surge as she took it pulling her back a few steps.

"This is how we are going to get to Camelot. We need someone who possess great dark magic and has little light. We think that Regina might be able to use her magic, to make the wand work to take us all to Camelot." Regina nods, taking the wand and moved it in a circular movement

"Seems like the darkness has left you your highness? You must have done too much good." The door slowly closed behind Hook, Charming and Robin.

"Shut Up guy liner, I still haven't forgotten what you said yesterday?" Regina told him as he takes the wand from her hand. Regina could see the rather nasty black eye on Hook's face that he had inherited from Robin's fist yesterday.

"Why don't we ask your darling daughter? Because I think she defiantly has the darkness in her.." Regina stood back, aware that she hadn't told Ella what she could be. She wasn't going too.

"Ella could do this Regina, he is right, she could take us to Camelot. All we need is something of Emma's." Belle tells her as Ella steps forwards, aware that all eyes were on her.

"I don't see why I Can't try, what harm could it do.…" Ella tells them as she takes the wand from the man.

"See this girl is more able than her own mother is. I am Hook." The man holds out his hand for Ella to take. Robin stands in front of Ella stopping her from shaking Hook's hand. He didn't want her to even touch this man, especially considering she didn't know his true intentions. Regina steps forward and takes the wand from her daughter, because she knows deep down, that Ella couldn't be completely out of the darkness yet.

"Well find something of Emma's and we will meet you after the boys have finished at school, because we are not leaving them behind." Regina tells them.

"So we will meet you at grannies at three? We need to get Neal and we will ask Granny if she wants to come with us too." Charming tells them. Regina nods taking Ella and Robin's hand leading them out of the library towards her car. The walk together in silence, prepared for whatever is coming next as a family.

The time had come and Ella's hands were shaking as they all stood in Grannies as she held on to her mother's hand and listened to her directions. She pointed the wand to the ceiling turned it and thought hard about where she wanted to go.

What happened next was that the power of the wand took over her body as she fell to the floor gasping for air. Regina took the wand and pointed it towards Emma's baby blanket, aware that Ella was in pain. Then came a bang as mother and daughter looked each other, realising that they had done this together. Regina held her hand for Ella to take; she pulled her into her arms and whispered.

"We did it"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

Grannies was scooped up in a tornado as they headed into the sky, into the unknown. Henry and Roland were holding on to the counter with Regina holding on to them tight. Ella was next to them, attempting to catch her breath. The magic had taken too much out of her body , she had never had to use that much before, fireballs never took that much out of her. Even when she had set alight to her whole dorm room that hadn't hurt this much, Ella knew that something wasn't right. She felt the pull of her body as she fell to the floor.

"Ella…. Take my hand.. We are nearly there." Ella could hear the voice, but she couldn't lift her hand to them. She called out,

"Regina... I can't breathe." But the words didn't come out, Ella was scared she couldn't reach out to her mother she couldn't tell her she was in pain. Her head was throbbing, she could feel the blood coming out of the wound, from where she had landed. The next thing she felt was her body being lifted into the air and it all going black.

They felt the bang as they landed, the places were Ella's was lying covered in her blood; the magic had taken too much from her. Regina knew that shouldn't have let the girl do this, she knew that it was a risk and now she had paid the price. Ella was gone again. Regina let go of her boys and called out to her daughter.

"Ella come back.. Come back right now..." Robin walked towards her aware that everyone in grannies was reeling from watching Ella disappearing in a purple cloud of smoke leaving a trace of herself on the floor.

"I don't think she is going to come back now.. We will just have to find her. Let's hope she is okay.." Robin pulled Regina to him.

"We need to find Emma now. She disappeared of her own accord; she must know what she wanted to come here for." Hook tells them all as he opens the door. Regina couldn't believe that Ella would just leave; not now it didn't make sense.

"Come on Regina, we need to find Emma she might know where Ella is. She was looking for her before remember." Regina gasped, aware of what Emma had tried before, she remembered how she met Ella, being held by the neck. Regina followed the other through the door, she was scared for Ella, but she needed to find Emma first, at least she still had the dagger.

Merlin pulled Ella's unconscious body, into the dark room. He knew that he needed to not only hide himself, but Ella and he didn't have the time to waste. Looking at her body, her brown hair a mess ,the top of it covered in blood, where she had hit the floor so hard as the pain from using all her magic had taken a hold over her body.

"Come on now Ella. Wake up, we need to talk." He told her as he set about completing the cloaking spell. Trying to put them both where they were supposed to be in the tree, just the way he had told Arthur it needed to be.

Meanwhile, the others had been reunited with Emma and where trying to explain to her there plan, and showing her Grannies. Regina was pacing as the others talked to her, she wanted to do one thing and that was find Ella.

" I am really sorry to break up this reunion, but I need to find Ella.." She stopped and took Henry's hand.

"You can't tell me you actually let that girl in to your life Regina. After everything I told you." Emma called at to her. Regina was fully aware about her Emma felt about Ella she had seen that the first time that they had all met each other.

" What you told me and what is actually correct about my daughter are none of your business, I need to find her before someone else does. I need to protect her." Regina let go of Henry now and approached Emma, with caution aware of what she was now capable of.

"Regina, I may not know the whole story but I know what my heart is saying. She shouldn't be trusted." They heard the sound of horse galloping towards them stopping the conversation.

" Ella… come on wake up.. I have been waiting for this moment for too long." Merlin patted Ella on both sides of her face, trying to pull her out of sleep. She moved her body slowly as she awoke.

"Where Am I ? " Everything was still quite dark as Ella pulled her body up into a sitting postion. She lifted her arm to head to feel the wound from where she fell. The magic was too much for her, she just needed to sleep. The last thing she remembered was Regina holding her hand out to her attempting to help her up.

"You are where you are meant to be. You are meant to be here with me, because you are where the darkness always belonged." A man voice, a familiar man's voice sounded in her head.

"Ella, your grandmother has set you up to be part of this. To be the ultimate power, the first dark one to ever have both the dagger and Excalibur but first you have to kill your mother and Emma." The man's voice told her as her vision began to focus.

"The dark one, but we are finding Merlin to save Emma and find a safe place for the dark one to be. I don't want to the dark one, I am sure I don't want to kill my mother or Emma. Take me back to where I was.. Take me back to my mum" Ella called to the man , as she began to notice that she recognised a lot of this man features.

"Ella, You are not going back to the Evil Queen. You are going to kill her and then Emma and we are going to use your power , to get rid of all that is wrong with this world. We are going to be the dark saviors of this world." Ella sighed ,now becoming aware that this man wasn't just familiar. He was someone who had been in her life who she had loved.

"Elliott…" She called out his name just once. He walked over to her put his finger to her lips.

" Merlin here babe, but shut up now because here come the heroes and the saviour and they are going to get us out of this tree as I Prophesised. "


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six 

After the evening Regina had just had the thought of trying to get Merlin out of the tree, was becoming more and more daunting. She had just nearly been killed, nearly lost Robin and then found out that she couldn't be the saviour because everyone now knew who she was the Evil Queen. The others had all gone to search for Ella, leaving Regina alone with Emma, who didn't seem to keen on finding on the girl.

"Well, what do you think we need? What do we have to do?" Emma called to her across the room, there still hadn't really worked out there issues over Ella.

"I really don't know, I am wondering if we find Ella first that she might be the key to helping us. For now we will have to just hope that something comes up in this room." Regina tells her, as she turns to face her.

"Ella can't help you Regina, she can't be trusted. Ella is just like your mother, she can put up a front and then she can turn, and I have seen it myself." Regina pulled the dagger from her pocket, she knew that she could make Emma stop talking but she shouldn't have too.

"Emma did you ever think that maybe your mother didn't trust when you first got to Storybrooke? I just think you need to put yourself in her shoes for a second. She has been told so many lies about me, about who I was, those lies have made her do some really dark things. She hated me the same way I hated your mother, but she can't control her magic the way I can. I need to protect her." Regina stopped as Emma stepped back.

"Just be careful Regina, because I don't want you to end up losing everything you have worked so hard for."

Ella pulled herself to standing; she had literally had the week from hell. Being held up by her neck by Emma, meeting her Evil Queen mother, to losing her grandparents, to being in Storybrooke and now here she was stuck in a blasted tree, with her actually boyfriend who turns out was Merlin all along.

"So you've known who I was this whole time? " Ella asked Merlin as he passed her a cup of warm tea.

" Well of course, because your destiny led me to you. I didn't know I was going to be able to jump into your bed so easily though. I thought you would have needed some persuasion, but no you were easy. Not like your mother in that way are you?" Ella stepped back, was he saying what she thought he was saying.

"Pardon… Are you saying…" Merlin shook his head as he stood and walked towards Ella pulling her closer.

"No, I have never met your mother, lucky me because I don't think when she was the Evil Queen she would have liked me very much do you. Ella you're the only girl I've ever met who has made me feel like this. We have a connection you and me." Ella shook her head as he leaned his head into towards her cheek, and delicately pecked it.

"What connection is that then?" Ella couldn't help but fall back into old habits; this was the man she loved who brought out the best in her. He may have taken her hostage, but for some reason she found that very endearing.

"The fact that both of us are battling the good and the bad inside of us. We both like being alone, but we also like the human touch." Merlin moved Ella's hair to one side as he pulled her into a deep kiss. Ella didn't push him away as she gave in to herself; she knew there was a spark regardless of her being his hostage.

"Where is the wand that you used to get here?" Emma asked Regina as they walked away from Merlin's room, another dead end.

"Well it's back at Grannies, but I can't work it not without Ella." Regina told her as she turned the corner. All she could think about was Ella, finding her and stopping the others from turning her dark. She just wanted to protect her, the way that she could have protected her years ago.

"It could work with me." Emma told her, as they collided with Hook, Snow, Charming and Robin.

" She is right, but we can't risk you using dark magic again. Your body is starting to give into the darkness." Snow told Emma as she glanced down at her hand, saving Robin the night before had done a lot more damage than she original thought.

"I might have too, because I have this strange feeling that Merlin can not only save me but he can save Ella too." Emma was starting to let go of what she knew of Ella, she knew how Regina felt, she had been there with Henry. Ella was Regina's blood, but she could also be the key to fixing things.

"Emma, you don't have to do this. We could always find merlin, send the Darkness into Ella and send her far away, but take the dagger from her." Hook still wanted Ella to be the person who took Ella's place. Regina felt her blood rage as he said it, she also felt Charming standing in front of her.

"We will not sacrifice Regina's child for ours. We have to find this girl and save her from the darkness like Emma. We need to find Merlin"

Ella watched as Merlin's chest rose and fell as he slept. She climbed out of the make shift bed, and found her clothes. It had felt good to be with him again, but something was different he seemed to want to take control of her and there was something inside of her that just refused. She knew that would be the last time their relationship was over, she just wanted to find her mother and tell her everything. She was overwhelmed with sadness, Elliott had been such a huge part of her life, he knew very little but Ella could have trusted him with everything.

"Emma are you ready?" Regina called out to her friend, as she gave her the wand. They were all standing back as Emma turned the wand towards the tree.

"Let's do this." Emma followed Regina's instructions, and felt the pull inside of chest as the magic took a hold. The tree began to crack, a flash of light and the tree broke in one place to reveal a doorway. Emma fell back; the magic had been too much as the other hand gave into the magic. Hook sat with her on the floor. As the other's approached the door Snow trying to go first, but the light pushed her back, leaving her meters from the door, they all tried one by one but Regina, all failing.

"Why can't we go in?" Charming asked her as she walked towards it.

"Because the saviour must be the one to find Merlin." Arthur appeared behind them. Regina stepped through the doorway and turned to them all.

"I'm guessing that's me then."

Meanwhile, Merlin had woken and had attempted to pull Ella back into the bed. When the tree shook, and a flash occurred.

"What was that? " Ella asked him as he pulled her back into her arms again.

"That my girl , is your mother who thinks that she is the saviour." Ella attempted to pull herself out of Merlin's grasp.

"Mom….. Mom…" Merlin pulled his hand over her mouth as he reached for her chest and pulled her heart out, and spoke to it.

"That woman is everything your grandmother told you. She killed them and now you need to kill her." Ella ran towards the door, down the stairs.

"Mom… Mom" Regina heard her daughter calling out to her, she increased her speed up the stairs more aware than ever that there were close again. The stairwell got darker as she came face to face with Ella, who held her hand out to her.

"I'm sorry, he found me he knows who I am, I know him." Merlin whispered again to her heart.

"Kill her." Ella couldn't resist it as she twisted her mother's wrist and entangled their arms together in magical handcuffs.

" Ella what are you doing?" Regina was confused, as Ella pulled her up the final stairs.

"Just trust me, please." It was taking all of Ella's strength to ignore the urge to kill her; she was trying all she knew to protect her mother. Protect her from Herself.

"Ella, I told you to kill her." Merlin yelled as he saw Mother and daughter standing side by side, tied together, what was he to do.

"There is something you should know about my heart; as soon as you pulled it from chest my Grandmother enchanted it to protect me from other magical beings. I can hear you but I won't do as you say; only people who share my blood can control me." Regina smirked her mother had done one thing right with Ella then, she had protected her. Merlin turned away, annoyed that his plan was failing.

"Do you trust me?" Regina whispered to her daughter as Ella nodded.

"Merlin, give me your best shot then. Kill me..." Regina knew that Ella's heart was safe, they were both safe. Ella had tied them together but Regina had managed to put her own magic on the cuffs.

"I never thought I would hear you say that." He pulled his wrist back as he whispered a spell, which was followed by a flash of magic, which collided with both Ella and Regina as they lifted their wrist into the air. What followed was a bang, and a cloud of purple smoke, as they were all consumed into the magic.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi_

 _So I hope this is all making sense, so far. Reviews are really appreciated so thank you. Enjoy it! x_

Chapter seven 

The smoke cleared quickly as the others approached the now very much collapsed tree. They were all calling out to those that there were most concerned for Regina and Ella. They heard nothing in reply; the men rushed forward moving parts of tree, throwing them behind. The women called out for the girls still hopeful, but the silence that followed meant that something had gone very wrong inside the tree.

Snow called out her stepmother's name repeatedly worried for her now, she knew full well Regina had saved Emma again but now she was at risk herself. They had all watched as a flash of light exploded from the tree just before it began to collapse. For the first time it was likely that Regina who once was unstoppable, was not and the person who had pursued Snow for years could possibly be gone.

Robin pulled more wood away from the pile, calling out Regina's name. He's love was in there somewhere; he needed to find her pull her out alive. He had nearly died the night before and now he was about to lose her.

Emma sighed as she stood up, walking towards her mother seeing the tears that were brewing in Snow's eyes. This was killing her; Regina was only here because she was trying to help save Emma. If only Emma hadn't gone after Ella, they would not be in the position that there in now; they wouldn't be searching for her.

"I've found something." Charming called out to the others, Hook and Robin ran to him helping him pull the rest of the wood of the find. Robin pulled out two objects from the wreckage.

"It's the dark ones dagger and it's also Ella's Necklace ." The necklace that Regina had given to her a few days before, the one that was a symbol of all she used to be, the tree in a pendant. The others sighed, it meant that they couldn't be under the tree, they were somewhere else. They were together and they were hopefully safe.

"What could have possibly happened to them?" Emma asked the others as she held on to Ella's necklace.

"It looks like they managed to turn my magic against me, but where they've gone now I don't know." Merlin was stood behind them his hands in the handcuffs that Regina and Ella had been in moments before, Ella's heart still in his hand.

"Who are you?" Snow asked as she turned and the men took Merlin under their arms, aware that the girls had done this for a reason.

" I am Merlin and I need to find them because they are going to bring out the best and the very worst in each other. Especially, now that Ella doesn't have this." He held the heart out. Robin took it very aware of the black cloud that was starting to form.

"I don't understand..." Robin told him as he placed Ella's heart into his pocket. Knowing that Regina would have wanted this, she would want him to protect her daughter's heart.

"Ella is dangerous without that, without her heart she is more likely to give in to her darkest self, when she truly gets to know her mother. They could kill each other and that would mean that your darkness would never be free from you, and if definitely wouldn't be free from anyone else. What I am saying is they are dangerous together and for each other."

Regina gasped as she regained consciousness, feeling the weight of the other girl on her chest as she pulled herself out from their current position. Ella too began to wake up, pulling herself up as she looked across to her mother. They outfits had changed; Regina was in a tight black corset with leather pants her dark locks were long again. Ella was wearing a long pink gown, her brown hair tied high on top of head. Regina felt her pocket, realising that Emma's dagger was missing, but that was the least of her worries.

"What happened?" Ella asked as she looked at what they were both wearing, she didn't understand why they were changed and also now in the middle of what appeared to be a dark forest.

"Well I thought I had pulled us all out of the tree, and that we would have been with the others. So that they could have met Merlin, and see what a monster he is. But it seems as if instead of that we have been pulled back to the Enchanted Forest." Regina tells her as she pulls herself up to standing, looking around aware that she was back in her old home and she held her hand out to Ella.

"That explains your outfit, and the sudden growth of your hair, no wonder you where the Evil Queen in this land. However, why would you spell put us here?" Ella couldn't help make a joke out of the situation; she took Regina's hand grateful for the support. Her head was hurting again and she also felt something was missing, the necklace that Regina had given her the day before.

"I think Merlin's spell clashed with mine, have you got your heart?" Regina gestured her hand into the direction of her daughter's heart. Ella moved her hand over her chest and shook her head at her mother.

"Doesn't feel like it. Great I am in a strange place, where I have no heart and no clue if I can control my powers here. I knew I should have stayed in New York." Ella sighed as she sat herself back down on the floor.

"If you had stayed in New York, Merlin could have pulled you here still and he would have got you to kill me and Emma in one swoop. You would have been the dark one before we knew it. At least this way I can protect you and hopefully help you to control your magic." Regina looked around, trying to grasp where exactly they were in the Enchanted Forest, she knew she should have paid attention to Snow and Charming when there were last here.

"Can't we just go to your castle? Then we can work out where we are from there?" Regina nodded and took Ella's hand attempting to transport them from where they were to the old home, but nothing happened.

"Oh shit, well we just going to have to walk. I just need to get my bearings." Ella let go of Regina's hand, and pulled a fireball into her own hand and threw it into a tree, causing it to spark.

"Can you do that?" Ella asked as she become aware that her mother's power was supposed to be pretty close to ultimate.

"Of course I can.." Regina flicked her wrist and nothing happened. She tried again but nothing. This wasn't making sense, Ella who couldn't control her magic could summon a measly fireball, but Regina who knew her strength couldn't.

"Amazing, so the person out of the two of us who can control their magic, can't and me who doesn't really know what she is doing half of the time can. Magical… Pure magical." Ella told her sarcastically. As she took her mother's hand and attempted to transform them to her old home. Again it failed.

"What is happening? Are we both running out of magic or something? "Ella shook her head as Regina pulled her in the direction that they would have to walk in.

"I think we just need to get to the castle and then we better hope, we can get some rest and restore our magic in the morning." Ella reluctantly followed behind her mother.

"And if that doesn't work, then what? Hope that if we wait long enough the others will find you. When I mean you, you're the person that they most worried about. After all, I am the place where the darkness is meant to be, they have my heart they can always put the darkness in me that way. They will find you first and then put it in to my heart. No protecting me from that is there." Ella was getting angry now, if only she had stayed in the Hamptons instead of going to work on Monday morning things would have been very different. It was Thursday in the real world, her afternoon off, she could have been shopping in Bloomingdales, buying shoes and the new handbag she had promised to herself the week before. Then dinner with her Grandpa at Five guys, then walking home through Central Park. Instead though her Grandpa was dead, that bag was worlds away literally and she was in some stupid pink outfit, with clown heels that she was being expected to walk miles in.

"Ella, do not say that. Robin will not let that happen. We just need to recharge and recover, and we will be fine. You trusted me before now do it again. Trust me this is not the adventure I was expecting either." Regina was just as fed up as Ella was, she too just wanted to go home, being the saviour was boring and she hated being relied upon. If they were only at home, they could be sat on the sofa watching some cheesy rom-com. Instead she was having to take Ella to the one place she wished she didn't have too, the place where she was who Cora had described as Evil. The one place she didn't want to be, and this outfit she now wondered why she ever thought was comfortable.

"Recharge what my magical batteries? I just want to go home." Ella sighed as she picked up the pace as she was getting more uncomfortable in the dress, it was slowing her down.

"Ella do not be facetious. I would love to go home too, but we can't we just going to have to face facts that we are here now, at least we are here together. It could be worse; you could have been here with Merlin." Regina caught up with her daughter grabbing her hand causing her to slow again.

"It wasn't that bad before you showed up. You do know that was Elliott, right he knew about me all this time. He knew who you where, he knew you were the Evil Queen ..." Regina stopped her.

"He knew that you were the one that the darkness always belonged. Hang on; please tell me that you didn't have relations with him?" Ella stepped back for a second and nodded at her mother.

"Well he is my boyfriend after all, and actually the fact that he had stolen me was actually quite sexy." Regina shook her head, bemused that her daughter was let herself be drawn by her heart rather than her head.

"You know that he probably knew that about you, he was planning to steal your heart all along. No matter how my mother has protected your heart. We just need to make sure you don't give into the darkness why will we are here. We just have to find a way back." Regina felt the anger boil in her again, because Ella's darkness began in one place.

"What dark things can I do where most of the inhabitants already live in Storybrooke because of you. Surely we are the only people here…Shit.. You mean…." Regina pulled her daughter closer as they both realised why Merlin had sent them here.

"I mean that Merlin has sent us here to kill each other, or one killing the other. I am not going to let that happen. I am going to protect you, and I am going to control both of us. You are lucky that you don't have your heart because just that thought is killing me." Regina felt the tears start as Ella leant in to her chest, tears dropping on Regina's chest.

"We only just found each other… This can't be happening." Ella muffled into her mother's chest close enough to Regina's heart that she felt it pull a little bit.

"That's why we are not going to let this happen. Ella I love you and I am your mother and nothing is going to tear us apart again, not now not ever." Regina didn't realise that just a few days she had another child who she loved more than anything. A child that had been taken from her, a child that if she had been given the chance to have she could have protected, raised, changed for and she knew that stopping this from happening was now the most important thing. Regina pulled away from Ella putting herself back together, taking her hand and leading her down the path towards her old home.

"Look we nearly there…. Just stay with me." Regina told Ella as her grip tightened in her mother's grasp.

"I am not going anywhere. I love you Mom"


	8. Chapter 8

Evening, Sorry for the lack of updates , watching Once , whilst writing is very distracting and also means that you get really confused with where your heading. Hope its all making sense... Hopefully update more at the weekend. Enjoy it x

Chapter eight

The sun broke through the cold castle walls as Ella stood up trying to reacquaint herself with another new set of surroundings. She walked over to the balcony that overlooked the courtyards and most of the Enchanted Forest. The walk to the castle had been long and tiring and they hadn't managed to get there in too late into the night. Ella looked across at her outfit strewn across the floor with the shoes piled neatly on top of each other. She was wearing one of her mother's nightgowns, which was just as uncomfortable as the outfit she had been wearing the day before. At least she had managed to get some rest before being awoken by the daylight that streamed through the vacant window. She pulled herself together and headed to look for her mother.

Regina however had managed only a few hours' sleep and was now awake, dressed and ready attempting to use her fireballs that were still not happening. This was frustrating, she knew that if she had her magic, they should be some way to bring her and Ella back to Camelot and ensure that the others were safe from whatever Merlin's plan was. Although she knew that Ella was the main ingredient in his plan, hence why he had taken her heart she didn't quiet know how taking both their magic worked.

"Morning," Ella peeped around the corner, she herself was redressed in the pink dress, barefoot because the shoes from the day before had caused her too much pain. The stone floor was cold under the foot as she walked towards the lounge chair that was just off the side to the balcony. Were Regina was still trying to make a fireball appear, in her hand.

"Hi, You sleep okay?" Regina faced her as Ella nodded as she flicked her wrist and conjured her very own fireball.

"Were you after one of these?" Ella sighed as she flicked the fireball towards the fire that was just off to the side of them.

"Are you actually kidding me? You keep your magic, and I lose it. So now I am going to have to try to teach you about how to get us back to Camelot, rather than just doing it myself." Regina sighed as she sat herself down beside Ella.

"Magical batteries recharged clearly on my part. I am not that bad; some people just freak me out and make me nervous." Ella lent her head on Regina's shoulder playfully.

"As long as I don't make you angry..." Regina starred down at her giving her an evil glance.

"Or me you . Remember I don't have a heart." Ella placed her hand on the place where her heart used to be.

"Shocking that you remembered, after your tears last night. We better go down to my vault and see what we can find there." Regina stood up grabbing Ella's cold hand.

"You better borrow some boots, your hands are freezing." Ella stood beside her mother as she led her to find some better shoes.

"The perks of being heartless"

Merlin played with the sides of the jail cell, hoping that he could make some sort of magical escape. All he could think about was the fact that Ella, who he wanted to kill her mother was running out of time. The Dark one had a heart now, she could make a choice save Ella by calling for her, or she could pull the darkness out of her and put into Ella. He was hoping for the latter.

"Don't even try it." Arthur appeared at the cell door, the same Arthur, who he had been with just days before in New York.

"Surely I can't persuade them to put the darkness in her, if I'm stuck in here." Arthur shook his head, and lent down to face Merlin, who was now kneeling on the floor trying to free himself.

"That was your plan, not mine. My plan means bringing them back here. Killing your girlfriend and her mother because they are the key to the end of this, that's why you sent them away? Because you knew that if they live they will find the truth and you can't do what you always wanted and make Ella your Queen." Arthur knew every detail of Merlin's plan. Which would end up with Ella's as the Dark One, he would be her master as he would have the dagger, she would kill whoever he saw fit and she would be Ultimate.

"So we both know that isn't going to happen, she will kill her long before she gets back here. Do you think I would send them away with both their powers? I am not that stupid." Merlin knew that the new found bond they had formed was the key to not only Remove the darkness from Emma, but removing the Dark One out of the world completely.

"What even is this?" Ella asked Regina as she pulled a strange shaped hand from a box.

"Don't touch it; you could end up with it." Regina warned as Ella reluctantly put it down. Ella looked around the room, some shelves empty, cases that seemed to be holding the same thing that Ella was missing.

"How many hearts did you even collect?" Ella asked as she pulled one out of the cabinet.

"I don't really know. They were not people I cared for; it was just on my quest to kill Snow White." Regina pulled the box out that contained the thing that could guide in the right direction, to send them home.

"Quest.. Is that what you call it? You pulled out of these hearts out just trying to find Snow." Ella asked her as she turned towards her.

"Yes that's what the Evil Queen called it, because losing dan….Your father nearly killed her. I know things could have been different, I know it was stupid but when you're hurting all you want is revenge. You should know that.. You wanted to kill me." Regina stopped searching as she looked into her daughter's eyes.

"And you think My Father would have wanted her to kill and rip the heart of others. Do you not think he would want her to move on, find a new source of happiness? Get married to a man she actually loved, had a baby lived the life My Grandpa wanted her to have." Ella couldn't help but talk about Regina's alter ego as another person, because the woman she had grown to care for, love didn't have any of this selfishness in her.

" I did what I thought I needed to do to survive. Your grandmother made sure that I could only marry Leopold, I never loved him. I can't have children of my own because I let myself give that right up, so that she couldn't take anything else from me." Ella shook her head as she walked towards Regina, not having her heart was confusing her, making her angry.

"What? What do you mean that you have taken away that right? Don't tell me you…" Ella stepped back again, if she had heart she was sure she would have been calmer.

"I can't have children, But I don't have this crazy urge to make that happen, because I have Henry and Roland…" Before Regina could say anymore Ella had raised her hand to her mother's face because Ella had a secret of her own, she too was in able to have children.

"You selfish Bitch… You heartless bitch." Ella turned to walk away, as Regina grabbed her face.

"Ella, this isn't you talking, this is not having a heart. Breath for a second." Regina walked towards her trying to pull her daughter into her arms, but Ella just kept pulling away.

"You made you self-infertile, just so that Grandma couldn't take your child from you, but look at me she already did that. She turned me against you, for the reason that you are selfish and only think about number one." Regina shook her head as she grabbed Ella's hand.

" No not any more I have two beautiful boys and a soulmate. Then there is you, the daughter I might not have known about but I love you just as much, I know this is hard because we didn't get half the chances, but I can make it up too you now." Regina pulled Ella closer, as she squirmed out of her mother's grasp.

"You had a chance that I never had. Because of you and your mother I never have that chance. Grandma told me that children where just a waste of my time. I can't have children. Then when I got pregnant with Elliott this year I was perfectly normal, right up until seven months and then I lost the baby, a baby girl, they then told me the next day that I would never conceive naturally not now not ever." Regina sighed and pulled Ella into her chest, now she saw why Ella looked so lost the day they had met.

"I am so sorry." Regina told her aware that Cora probably played a part in babies death, because when Cora had a plan, she stuck to it.

"She killed her, didn't she? She wanted me to kill you more than me my baby." Ella pulled away, she knew what she was, another pawn in her grandmother's deception.

" I don't know Ella, I'm sure she wouldn't have done that…" Regina was worried about what was going to happen next, As the tears stung her own eyes.

"She did, because to her and you I am just a part of this big plan. I am the biggest revenge to you, for throwing her in the mirror and sending her away, because she had the one thing that could have changed your path. While for you I am the one that could change your life, rid your friend of the darkness and be The Dark One. The one thing that Grandma wanted she always wanted to be the ultimate power." It was all starting to make sense in Ella's mind as she backed away from her mother towards the door.

"No Ella, No.. You are not going to the Dark One, you understand me…." Ella flicked her wrist as she aimed a flash of light at her Mother, the anger rising inside her once again. She was being used again, just like every person in her life had. The only person who truly loved her, was her Grandpa.

"Ella, please…" Regina stood back, aware that she was defenceless.

" Are you begging me? I bet those people that you took those heart from begged you didn't they?" Ella flicked her wrist again, as Regina run towards her and pulled her to the floor. She lent down and kissed her daughter her head, which was followed by a flash. Then Ella felt a pull inside of her and a voice….

"Tell Regina that you are the key. You can get you both back safely; you just need to accept the fact that you are who you are. That your mother is your mother, accept your faults, accepts hers and forgive. Be the End to this, the end to the darkness" As the voice spoke in Ella's ear she repeated every word. Regina pulled herself off her, aware of what nearly happened in her own vault. Mother and daughter looked at each other and smiled as they realised that the solution was staring them both in the face. Each other…..


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

Ella pulled herself up, she was now more confused then ever. She had to admit who she really is, admit that Regina was her mother and fully tell her story from the very beginning , the true story. Ella held out her hand out for her mother , and smiled too her, aware that the argument that they had just had had put them yet again in a new phase of their relationship.

"So what do we do now, do I just pour my heart out tell you the story of my life and we go from there or what?" Ella asked her mother as Regina tried to regain her breath.

"Ella I think we have to go back to the one place where this is started ? We need to go back to where you come from the stables, we need to go back to where your father died." Ella looked over at her as the realisation hit, that she was probably right and that they would have to go back to the very beginning, go back to the place where they had both lost the man who pulled them together ' Daniel' .

The walk to the stables was quite, nether wanted to broach the subject of the argument or the fact that there were both living in the same situation a life without the prospect of ever birthing there own children. For Ella it was the fact that her mother had taken the right away, to protect her children from living the same life as she had, being controlled by Cora. Regina saw the doors and hesitated to walk through them.. Ella went behind her and took her hand.

" you hold my hand while I tell my story , I hold your hand as your face your biggest fears." Ella pulled her mother through the door, towards the uncertainty to the fact that this might now work and they may not be heading home anytime soon.

" Let's do this," Regina held her breath as they walked through the barn doors. They sighed and did not let go of the others hand.

" So who are you then? " Regina asks her as they find themselves a seat on the haystacks, just where they where left, the day that Regina was last here , the day of the moment with Snow.

" I'm Ella Mills , the daughter of a stable boy and the evil queen. The product of true love, with magic that I can't control . I'm supposed to be the dark one , but my mother saved me and now we both want to rid the world of the dark one forever." A light flashed as they felt themselves through the passage again, going back to Camelot.

The light air was replaced by darkness, as Ella and Regina returned to the place where they had only left a day ago.

" So the heart worked then... " Henry told them as they crashed landed back in the outfit they were wearing previoislh . Regina back in the red gown, Mid-length Hair To The Side And The Silver High Heeled Shoes . Ella pack in the leather pants and the red hooded jacket, hair back in its high top bun with the cute high heels that match her mothers.

"Good to be back... Where is Ella heart ?" Robin comes from behind , passing Regina the bag that contained Ella's heart , pecking Regina on the lips as passed.

" Welcome back my love and welcome back little lady. How are you feeling ?" Robin asked as Regina pushed Ella heart back into her chest.

" I've literally done more magic in the last few days than I have ever done. By the way have you got your back yet? " Regina flicked her wrist and a fireball appeared and she nodded to confirm it to Ella.

" you didn't have your magic mom?" Henry asked Regina as he pulled in for hug.

" Don't even ask. We just need to find Emma and Merlin and take the next step. We need to find out how we defeat the darkness." Robin and Henry stepped back away from the girls.

"What happened ? Why are you both looking worried?" Ella asked as she moved forward.

" Well Emma might have pulled his Heart and Killed Him Out Of Revenge For Him Sending You Two Away. ..."


	10. Chapter 10

Only a short part, sorry for the delay. Hope its all making sense thank you

Chapter Ten

They all woke up on the floor of grannies diner, everything that had happened in the last few days forgotten, as they all pulled themselves to standing. They were still in their Camelot outfits, but the last thing that they can all remember is getting to the tree, everything else was gone. The doors swung open to reveal Sleepy and Sneezy.

" Your back.." Sneezy told them all as they looked at each other confused.

"How long have we been gone?" Charming asked him.

" Six weeks." They all looked at each other in shook..

"Six weeks, we were right by the tree…" Snow turned to them all.

" Nooo…." Henry called out, aware that this was all to normal.

" Our memories are gone again…" Regina called out as she walked towards Ella who was steadily pulling herself back up, dazed by what had happened.

"While you were outside I was inside… I was inside with Merlin.. Elliott is Merlin Mum. I remember that. What's happened?" Ella noticed a new addition to her own neck, her mother's necklace.

" You were inside the tree, Ella if Merlin is Elliott. That means your something to do with his plan. Something to do with Emma and getting her out of the darkness." Regina took Ella's hand and pulled her close.

"But we all here but where is Emma?" Hook asked as he looked round once more to just double check that she wasn't there. The door swung open, to reveal Emma dressed all in black, with her blonde hair, now white.

"Hello my dears.. How are we all feeling tonight?" Emma walked towards her mother stroking her face.

" Emma… what happened? How come we are back here?" Hook asked from a distance to shocked to see his girlfriend completely in darkness.

" What Happened is a curse? Can't you tell?" Emma said as she headed towards him until Sneezy, sneezed. She turned to him.

" What are you supposed to be?" She asked glaring at the red jacket that seemed to be a copy of her old outfit. Sneezy didn't reply and just looked down at the floor.

"never mind." With that he turned into stone.

"Emma, that's enough" Regina called out to her as she let go of Ella's grasp. Pulling at the pocket of the dress.

" Looking for this.." As she pulled the dagger from her pocket and poised it at Regina's neck.

"Don't even think about it?" Ella pushed Emma's hand from Regina's neck.

" Little girl, don't even try it." Emma told her as she pushed her away.

"What happened in Camelot?" Hook asked as Emma approached him.

"What happened? You failed that's what happened?" Then she vanished.

They all shuffled out of the diner in silence, attempt to retrace their steps towards home. Regina chucked Robin the keys.

"You drive you and the boys home, Me and Ella will walk the rest of the way home." Regina kissed Robin as she took hold of Ella's hand.

"Okay my love, see you in a few minutes. Fancy pizza for dinner?" Regina nodded as the men ascended into the car.

They all said their goodbyes and went off in their different directions. Snow, Charming and Baby Neal back to the loft. Hook heading towards the habour, to get back on his boat. Robin,Henry and Roland getting into the Mercedes to drive back to 108 Miffin street. Regina and Ella were standing waiting for the others to move off as they looked at each other aware that Ella might be the key to all this.

"I'm wondering why Elliott has been with you for this long. I also would love to know what he wants with you?" Regina asked Ella as they began to walk towards home.

" I really don't get it myself, He never knew who you were, well I thought he didn't but when we were in the tree he kept talking about my destiny and how is was tied to him and you. That's all I can remember." Ella said as the breeze caught her chest, and Regina sensing it made two coats appear on both of their backs.

"There is something I need to tell you. You are where the darkness begins, and I think when Merlin said that it's tied to me is because you have to kill the one thing that makes you…" Regina told her as Ella stopped.

"Makes me hate, makes me want to kill that one thing. But I don't think I feel that way anymore. Regina what ever happened why we were in Camelot has made more connected to you than ever, I can just feel it. I don't want to kill you. If anything I want to protect you." Regina smiled because she felt the same way.

"I wished we knew what had happened, and there is no way I am going to let you become the dark one. We just need to find Elliott and save Emma." Regina told her as they turned onto Miffin street.

"Do you think he can still help us?" Regina nodded as she approached the front door and unlocked it.

" I think we just need to lock into the fact that you are his destiny and that he loves you. Love is the one thing that can break any evil."


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you for the replies.

chapter eleven

Chapter eleven 

Early morning was breaking as Ella went for a run around the calm town; the sun was just breaking as she raced towards the forest so that she could take it all in. Ella was starting to get used to life in Storybrooke, a month in and there was lots of different drama, lots of things to face nearly every single day, but she liked it. It felt like home, the one place where she was able to control who she was, and learn how to use her magic for good. Regina had spent a lot of this time looking for ways to find Merlin, finding ways to help save Emma and finding ways to find their memories from Camelot.

"Fancy seeing you here?" Ella slowed as she approached Emma who was sat cross legged on the bench taking in the sunrise herself as she made a dreamcatcher.

"Morning Emma… What are you doing up here?" Ella asked as she looked at the woman who for the last few weeks, had only been spotted as Regina and Ella had stopped something bad from happening.

"You know just seeing what dark things I could do next. You heard about what happened yesterday, the dreamcatcher… and Henry." Emma's voice trembled and she appeared to be crying as she remembered the events of the day before.

"I did, I am sorry that he had to find out like that. We all do things that we don't want our children to know about just ask Regina." Ella said as she approached Emma and sat beside her on the bench. She recalled all the terrible things her mother had played her part in. Murdering whole villages , ripping people's hearts out and even ripping out her grandpa's heart just to find her own happiness. Ella had to breath and remember that the Evil Queen was not the woman who she had grown to call "Mom".

"I was just trying to do what was best for him, for us. I thought what was best was me being normal again." Ella shook her head.

"You may think that, but what's best for him is letting him make his own choices. Do you really think it managed to get Merlin out of the tree?" Emma nodded at her.

"I know that it got both out of you out of the tree. I just can't tell you what happened. You and your mother need to work that out. You also need to work out how she lost the dagger and how I got it back." Emma said as she passed her the dreamcatcher.

"Take care of this for me; see what you can pull from this. You know Merlin really loved you." Emma stood up and then she vanished.

Ella took a deep breath as she stood up, as her cell phone buzzed with a text message from Henry.

"Mom wants to know whether you want eggs or bacon or both?" Ella typed out her reply and carried on running, knowing that she knew something that would help her, Merlin must be dead. She ran faster as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Finding the clue to what had happened in Camelot was the key.

"Ella said no thank you.. And that she is going to be a little while." Henry told Regina as he pulled himself up to sit at the breakfast bar. It was just Regina and Henry on the bright Sunday morning, Robin and Roland were spending the night with the merry men and Ella had gone for her normal morning run before the rest of the house had woken.

The Mills- Locksley family has swung into a very normal pattern; they had breakfast together most days, then went off and did what they needed. The boys went to school; Robin went to the merry men to try to find different ways to keep the people from Camelot from finding out what the others were up too. Regina and Ella would spend most of their days in her office trying to find different ways to get some contact with Merlin or at least work out how to save Emma without him. The weekends were family time, archery lesson with Robin, Riding with Regina and Ella letting the boys help her to cook their Saturday night meal. Sundays were normally movie afternoons followed by dinner at grannies.

"How long do you think that will be?" Regina asked Henry as she placed the bacon under the grill. Regina wanted to have breakfast and have a girly afternoon with Ella, because they were still attempting to get to know each other.

"I suppose as long as she needs, do you want me to call her?" Henry asked her as he turned the page of the comic he was reading.

"No, let's just leave her be. Are you okay? After last night I mean.." Regina asked him as she passed him a hot chocolate with cinnamon. Last night they had all watched as Emma ripped Violet's heart out in the dreamcatcher.

"I don't really know, I can forgive her I know that but I just need time. It's hard to accept that my mom is really the dark one now. I am struggling to understand why we needed to forgot everything that happened in Camelot." Henry told her as he took a sip.

"I don't know either Henry, I am just sorry that you had to find out like this." Henry shook he's head as they both turned to see Robin and Roland appear.

"It's not your fault.." Henry told her reassuringly as he passed her the eggs out of the fridge.

"What's not your fault my love?" Robin asked as he kissed Regina lightly on the cheek. As Henry helped Roland jump up on to the breakfast counter.

"Emma.. Why are you back so early?" Robin rolled his eyes as he placed the kettle back on the stove, to make himself a coffee and grabbing three cups out of the cupboard.

"Well, Roland said he didn't want to miss the family breakfast. Is Ella still in the shower?" Robin asked as he placed milk in to two of the cups and left the other without. Ella's normal after run routine was to have a shower, get dressed and then take her cup of black coffee from the side and help her mother finish up.

"She's not come back yet..." Henry tells him, as he sat himself back down passing Roland a comic to read.

"What? She's normally back by now…" Regina looked up at him and tried to get him to calm down, because he had become quite attached to the newest member of their little family. Robin had many moments with Ella where they had been following Regina and the others. They had talked about the loses in the lives and the way in which they had come out the other end. They also had talked about their dark sides and how they had come out of the other side. Ella had also confined in him that she was still scared of her mother and that she was learning about the other side to the Evil Queen.

"She will be fine. She is a big girl after all." Regina told him as she looked down, because she knew what Mills women could do with space.

"But she is your daughter Regina."

Ella tapped the code into the hospital basement key pad, as she checked her reflection her once more. She wiped the tears away and was still dressed for her run, but she didn't look to bad. Long hair tied up in a top bun, she knew she looked just like her mother, she knew that the person who she was going to visit knew exactly who she was. She walked the last few steps and lifted her arms up causing the spell to break on her aunt's cell door.

"Good morning… ohh good you brought breakfast..."

Meanwhile back at 108 Miffin Street, Ella's family were enjoying their breakfast. Regina was finding it difficult to eat her food as she stared at the empty seat next to Henry; the exact spot were Ella would normally be sitting.

"I wonder what is taking her so long." Regina asked the others as she put her fork down, aware that she wasn't going to be able to eat, without knowing were her daughter was.

"Do you think we should call her?" Robin asked as he took Regina's Hand , gently caressing her palm trying to calm her down.

"Mabey, because for all we know she might have fallen in the forest or something. It has been nearly two hours since we heard from her. What time did you say she left Henry?" Regina looked up at the clock..11.00am.

"Sixish just before the sun come up, I went to the bathroom and she was just running down the stairs like normal." Henry told them. Ella was never gone this long, two hours no longer than that.

" I am just going to call her my love" Robin told them as he jumped up to find his phone, because he too sensed that something wasn't right.

" Zelena, it's just a tea and a bagel.. I wasn't planning on spending more on you that I have too." Ella told her as she passed her, the grannies bag. Taking her own and sitting beside her aunt on the bed.

" Ella you don't understand how long I've wanted this bagel. Your dear mother is only giving me boring vegetables and meat. See she is really evil like that… What are we going to talk about today?" Zelena asked as she took her first mouthful. Ella pulled the dreamcatcher from behind her back.

" show me how to make this work, to unlock the memories that Emma has stolen from me. Help me understand why she had to kill Merlin?" Ella asked Zelena as the tears came again.

" Why didn't you ask Regina?" Zelena took the Dreamcatcher from Ella's grasp.

" Because I think she played a part in it."

xxx


	12. Chapter 12

Last part of the night ... Hope you enjoy it.!

Chapter twelve

Zelena told Ella what to do, just as her mother had done many times before as she lifted a hand over the dreamcatcher.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Zelena asked her. The two had spent many an hour together as Ella was Zelena's main minder, she would take her to appointments and to antenatal classes in preparation for the birth of Robin's baby. They talked about their experiences of magic, of Regina and of course the woman that Zelana had never met Cora.

"I am ready."

"There is no answer. It's just ringing and ringing not even going to voicemail." Robin told Regina after they had rushed the boys upstairs, trying to get them out of the way so that they could focus on their sister.

"Keep trying, I am going to call the others and see if they have seen her." Regina told him as she walked towards the phone that was on the sideboard. She dialled and talked as calmly as she could to Snow.

" What if Emma has taken her Regina?" Regina dropped the phone in shock as she heard Snow's voice calling out for her.

"No she wouldn't, she couldn't Ella would be able to stop her now she has control of her magic." Robin picked the phone up hanging up on Snow.

" She isn't answering my calls, you try I am going to get dressed. Then we need to all go and find her." Regina sighed because he was right Emma could have taken her that could have been her master her plan. Regina pulled her cell phone from her bag as she dialled Ella's number, which automatically went to voicemail.

Ella pulled herself together as she walked through the double doors, back into the daylight back into the reality, that she had just seen exactly what had happened. She though that the person who brought her here was different, she thought she could be trusted, she thought she loved her. She felt her cell phone ring in her back pocket, she pulled it out. Thousands of missed calls from Robin and Regina, she turned the phone off and ran towards the place she thought was her home. She was getting out of here, leaving it all behind because the only person she had to save was herself.

Regina pulled off the driveway heading towards the normal route that Ella would take, she had only been with her a few times, because her daughter liked the freedom of the early morning, whereas Regina really didn't, which she assumed was the Daniel in Ella coming out. She knew the route she would take, straight through town towards the troll bridge across it straight into the forest. It would be this point that they would have to get out and walk up to the highest point in town, which was normally Ella's break point, where she summoned a bottle of water, had a stretch and then would carry on. Regina accelerated through the traffic lights, towards where she hopped her daughter was.

Ella however, was walking the final steps towards her Mother's house. She could feel the pain in her chest as she approached the house. She was about to have the final showdown with her, the moment that she should have done in the very beginning. Kill her.

Regina ran the hill as fast as she could; noticing nothing different about the path… Until her cell phone buzzed.

"Mom, she's here and she is packing."

Henry stood in Ella's doorway, stalling her just as his mother had asked.

"What are you doing Ella?" Henry asked as Ella threw another dress in her case.

"I am going home, because nothing she ever told me was ever true. She never loved me, she was just using me.. Using me to save your mom." Ella had no tears left as she grabbed the rest of her belongings, zipping the case and throwing it to the floor. Henry walked forwards and tried to grab the case from the floor, but Ella stopped him with a flick of her arm throwing him against the wall. The anger taking over her body as she whispered her apologies as she headed down the stairs.

Regina heard the bang as she appeared at the porch in a cloud of purple smoke; she turned the handle to be faced with Ella, suitcase in hand and handbag in the other.

"What have you just done?" Regina yelled at her as Henry followed down the stairs with blood dripping from his face.

"Something to get me out of here. Using him to stall me… Not going to work just get out of my way." Ella yelled at Regina, as Snow appeared from behind Regina and took Henry's hand moving him away from the fray.

"No, you have no right to hurt him. I don't know what Emma said to you to piss you off. But you don't take it out on your brother…" Ella lifted her arm again causing her mother to fly through the doorway.

"For the first time I see things really clearly, I see you for exactly who you are. I saw everything… we went back to where you thrive and you're proved yourself to me." Regina lifted her head as she used her own magic to stick Ella's feet to the floor and creating restraints for her daughter's wrists, restraints that would not hold this angry girl for long.

"I really don't understand what you are saying, because last night we were fine, so what could possibly have happened since the last time I saw you." Regina questioned as she pulled herself to standing and approached Ella. Approaching the little lost girl she could see in Ella's eyes.

"You happened…" Ella said as she burnt the restraints to a crisp, and freed her feet from the floor. She used her wrist again to sending Regina as far away from her as possible. Out towards the very edge of Regina's porch, causing Regina's head to crash with the floor and blood poured from the wound.

"Now get out of my way, you are the Evil Queen and I cannot believe I ever trusted you. Now take this and see what you forgot about. What happened in the Enchanted Forest when Merlin sent us there?" She chucked the dreamcatcher on top of her mother's unconscious body and disappeared in her own cloud of purple smoke.

As Regina, lay on the hospital bed several hours later, clinging on to the dreamcatcher. As the rest of the visitors and well-wishers had left, Regina finally let go and began to cry because she was struggling to understand what had happened, what had changed so drastically between her and her daughter. She lifted her arm and thought of Ella as the dreamcatcher played a memory she couldn't remember, of being back in her vault in the castle back in the enchanted forest.

"What even is this?" Ella's voice began …

"Don't touch it; you could end up with it." Regina's own reply and it was all coming back.

"How many hearts did you even collect?"

"I don't really know. They were not people I cared for; it was just on my quest to kill Snow White."

"Quest.. Is that what you call it? You pulled out of these hearts out just trying to find Snow."

"Yes that's what the Evil Queen, what I did because I wanted to kill her more than anything. Losing your father was the cause and I still want to revenge his death. "

"And you think My Father would have wanted her to kill and rip the heart of others. Do you not think he would want her to move on, find a new source of happiness? Get married to a man she actually loved, had a baby lived the life My Grandpa wanted her to have."

"I did what I thought I needed to do to survive. Your grandmother made sure that I could only marry Leopold, I never loved him. I can't have children of my own because I let myself give that right up, so that she couldn't take anything else from me."

"What? What do you mean that you have taken away that right? Don't tell me you…"

"I can't have children, But I don't have this crazy urge to make that happen, because I have Henry and Roland and they are all I will every need"

"You selfish Bitch… You heartless bitch."

"You knew this about me before you even met me. I don't care for you I just want you to save Henry's mother so I can get on with my life"

"You made you self-infertile, just so that Grandma couldn't take your child from you, but look at me she already did that. She turned me against you, for the reason that you are selfish and only think about number one."

" No not any more I have two beautiful boys and a soulmate. A soulmate that I want to spend the rest of my life with. Your just the person who is going to help me get rid of this problem."

"You had a chance that I never had. Because of you and your mother I never have that chance. Grandma told me that children where just a waste of my time. I can't have children. Then when I got pregnant with Elliott this year I was perfectly normal, right up until seven months and then I lost the baby, a baby girl, they then told me the next day that I would never conceive naturally not now not ever."

"You were stupid enough to trust her, she doesn't want anything to take her precious baby meal away from her. You have a child with a man who would never be King, what a stupid girl you are?"

"How dare you? I'm stupid because I trusted her, then you must be stupid for letting her fuck up your chance of having a baby"

" Well I must be an amazing Mother, because you want to kill me…" Ella sparked a Flame in her hand.

" Don't even try it… Little girl" She grabbed Ella's face and threw her across the room.

" Cora did what she did , because to her and you I am just a part of this big plan. I am the biggest revenge to you, for throwing her in the mirror and sending her away, because she had the one thing that could have changed your path. While for you I am the one that could change your life, rid your friend of the darkness and be The Dark One. The one thing that Grandma wanted she always wanted to be the ultimate power."

"I might as well face facts, I might as well kill you and let the darkness live in your dead body. Because you have nothing else to live for."

"Do it then…. Kill me… Kill the one person who can stop you. Stop you from living your amazing happy ending. "

Then the Evil Queen appeared in Regina's Eyes as she grabbed Ella's neck and strangled her and threw her against the wall leaving her unconscious on the floor. Until a figure appeared in white and magically healed her, till she was standing again and then they vanished.

Regina hated herself, she had done exactly what Emma had done to Henry she had broken her daughter's heart , then she looked at the figure one last time as they appeared in the dreamcatcher…

"Em-ma"

Will be back next weekend with more !


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter thirteen

Regina held her breath as she pulled herself out of the bed and attempted to get herself dressed, she knew that there was no chance that Emma would allow anyone to cross the town line, without an issue arising, liking forgetting everything or being completely stuck and not being able to come back. She wouldn't have been stupid enough to have done that surely. She straightened herself up as she walked out of the hospital the same way that Ella had done earlier. She then let herself disappear in a cloud of purple smoke.

Meanwhile, Ella was stood just at the edge of town, trying to work out exactly how she was going to leave town. She had watched as one of the dwarves, tried just a few hours before, and he successfully managed to turn into a tree. Ella was angry but she was defiantly not stupid enough to try that. So she called out for the one person who would help her.

"Emma Swan"

Regina heard the name call out for Emma; she also recognised it as she hid behind the trees, to see what would happen next. She longed to walk towards Ella, but after last time it was too much of a risk. Ella was wild and the one thing that she wanted to kill was Regina.

"You can't just call out for me when you fancy it." Emma tells Ella as she pulled the sword from her back pocket.

"Well who else do I call for? Merlin?" Ella moved towards Emma as she recognised that the dagger was no more, it was more of a a complete sword.

" Merlin… we haven't found him yet and now we will never will." Emma told as she raised the sword to Ella's neck.

"You killed him. I also know that you and Zelena wanted to turn me against my mom. I don't know why, I don't really care I just want to leave here." Regina gasped, as she realised that her daughter had met Zelena and that she had something to do with what had happened today.

"You are quite a clever girl. What would we achieve from you being turned against your mother?" Emma asked as she pulled the sword closer to Ella's throat. Regina moved forward quickly prepared to use her magic if necessary, but she wanted to see how this planned out.

"You want me to kill her. Zelena wants her dead, so that she can take everything from her. Regina's blood on my hands is her happy ending. But you, I don't really get you because from all I can remember she was trying to save you. She saw you as her friend, and knows you want to use her greatest weakness against her." Ella pulled her throat back as she spoke to Emma.

"What's her greatest weakness?" Emma asked as she pushed Ella's body to the floor with the swipe of a hand.

"Forgiveness. She wanted to take me on, she wanted to be a mother to me. She was everything that my Grandpa said she was a good person under all the glamour. I also think that your plan from the moment you found me in New York was for us to both, kill each other." Ella lifted her arm and forced Emma off her with a flick. Regina stepped out from her hiding place and made sure the only person that could see her was Ella. Ella lifted her head and looked dead at her, turning her head to the side in some sort of an apology.

"You've got a good idea of everything. If you knew that we had forced that memory, why did you do what you did?" Emma told the girl as she lifted herself. Ella looked up and saw her mother standing not far behind.

" Because I was trying to protect her, trying to protect every person in this town…. That I've started to care for…. Even love…. I could move on from you killing Merlin, but if you were to ever kill them it would kill me. I will never be stupid enough to do like you and let the darkness absorb me." Ella lifted her arm, once more forcing Emma across the dark road. She then began to strangle her. Regina lifted her own wrist and taking the sword from Emma.

"But now it's time that I did what I was sent here to do. Remove the darkness out of you.. Mom do it .." Regina flung the sword into the air, and watched as Ella removed her own heart throwing it into the tornedo that followed the sword.

"You can't do this… What will happen next... You will die." Emma stuttered as Ella let her drop to the floor, as the sword snapped in half and Ella's heart, turned bright gold.

"Taking back, what was always meant to be mine. The darkness that lives in you… Rumpelstiltskin let Cora keep me, to one day remove the darkness. To protect people like you, people like his son who were affected by the darkness in all the wrong ways. " Emma gasped as she felt the transformation begin. Regina rushed to aid Emma as she began to fall to the ground.

"This was always my destiny; I don't know what is coming next. If I die at least you can say that the Evil Queen and the Stable boy's daughter did some good in this world." Ella gasped as she drew her breath as the heart, disappeared followed by the sword.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter fourteen 

Regina held her breath, as she watched from afar as Robin taught the boys how to shoot arrows. Roland was definitely picking it up quicker than she had anticipated; Henry however was clearly still struggling but was trying to learn from Robin. The baby cried as Regina, turned into the buggy to talk to the newest addition to the Mills-Locksley family , a baby girl with curly blonde hair, like her mother's, who safe to say was locked away after what she had caused.

"You alright up here my love… Good morning sunshine." Robin approached followed closely behind by the boys.

"All good, think someone might be getting hungry. Time to be heading back home I think." Regina said as she picked the baby up from the carrier, the little girl curled her into her mom's arms as Regina stood up to kiss Robin on the cheek.

"Can I hold Imogen now please ?" Roland asked as he pulled himself up on where Regina had been sitting.

"Not right now…" Henry told him as they begin to walk back towards the family friendly, Range Rover.

"Later Roland, first little man we need to go and get changed and meet the other's for dinner." Robin tells him as they all descend into the car. Regina strapping Imogen tightly in her car seat, beside Henry, who has proven himself to be a very worthy brother.

They pulled into the driveway and started to unload all the baggage and children. The Mercedes was back on the drive, Regina placed her hand on the bonnet it was still warm. As she went to the front door to unlock it, as the boys rushed in. The shower in the guest room was running and giggles could be heard throughout the house. Regina rushed up to gently knock one the door.

"We are all home." As she walked across to Imogen's room to make sure all the curtains where closed so that she could be put down for a nap, before dinner at Grannies.

" Hi!" A man with dark brown hair appeared in the doorway, he was dressed in jeans, t-shirt and a smart dinner jacket.

"Hey.. you had a good day then?" Regina asked as Robin appeared in the doorway with a sleeping Imogen.

"Gorgeous thank you. We just spent most of the day here, and she took me out for a lunchtime picnic in the forest, overlooking the town. It was lovely thank you. I leave you too it, I will go and play on the game system with the boys while you all get ready, would you like me to take the monitor and keep an ear out for Imi?" The man asked as Regina gladly passed it to him.

"That would be perfect."

In the year that had passed things had changed, Imogen wasn't the only new part of the life in Storybrooke. People who were meant to be gone, had returned when Ella had broken the dark one's curse. Emma and Hook were now living in bliss, in their own house far away from her parents. Henry was doing a week with Regina and a week with Emma but saw them both pretty much every day regardless. Zelena, was currently in her own little house arrest, living next door to Snow and Charming who were her own personal guard. She would get little time with Imogen, but she wasn't particular interested.

"You look lovely Mom" Said the voice as Regina turned to face them. Regina had decided on her favourite blue dress with the zip that Robin loved.

"You don't look to bad yourself" Stood behind her was a younger brunette whose only long locks were flowing down her back. The leather pants were back with the strappy top and the checked blouse, that hung loosely over her upper body, to protect her from the evening chill and then the suede black boots that stopped just above the Knee.

" Ella…. You had a good day?" Ella nodded as she sat down on her mother's bed.

"Yeah was lovely thank you.. best way to spend a Sunday."

Ella had survived stopping the darkness, just. It had taken a lot of Regina's magic and Emma's later on, to fix the darkened heart that Ella know owned. Not only that but it was making attempts to stop Ella from ever embracing the darkness herself, which they had managed to do so far. She had done a lot of good so far, fixing everything that Emma's darkness had caused, the curse on the town line and returning the dwarf she had seen turn into a tree back. Ella removed the curse off the town line completely, but since the whole town felt self no one had left. Storybrooke was content, for now.

" Ella, how's is Jack finding the move?" Regina asked Ella as she sat beside her.

" He loves it, just wished we had done it sooner. You know called each other and realised that it was always meant to be us. Not Elliott, I just wished I had seen it sooner." Ella's college Friend was now the boyfriend, the man who was looking out for her and helping her as she made the transition from hating her mother, to loving her.

" Well at least you're here now. There's always time to find your soulmate. I know that better than anyone." Regina tells her as they both heard the cries of the baby.

" Can I come in?" Henry stood at the door, peering in round the side. Regina nodded as he walked in and perched himself on the other side of her.

" Look dashing as always." Ella told her younger brother as she looked over at Regina, who hadn't moved to rush to Imogen's cries.

"Jack is with Imogen, someone else has fallen in love with him, pretty quickly too." The cries subsided. As Roland walked in, and pulled himself up to sit on Regina's knee.

" Well Hi Roland… You comfy there?" Regina asked as she pulled him closer. Three out of four children sat with her, beside her something that she thought she would never have.

"Yes. Ella , Jack said I could come with you tomorrow after school and set up the children's club." Ella turned to look at Roland, and smiled. Jack had seen a very big gap in the Storybrooke market, there was no were for the children of Storybrooke to go and just hang out. So he decided that his big project was to turn one of the local fields into a hall, with space for sports and of course for archery practice.

" I suppose so, but you do now we are just making ground tomorrow, It won't be built by the time you finish school." Ella tells him, aware of what he is waiting for.

"You could just magically make it appear though. You can't say that look after the wellbeing of Storybrooke's children isn't good." Henry tells her as she looks up at the clock.

"No, because this isn't your sister's project, its Jack's and also if she does that what would be the point of her working with me, on getting the funding for it and more things." Regina tells him as she pulls Roland off her lap.

" She's right about that would be completely pointless, but I could magically make us all go downstairs, where I think Robin, Jack and Imogen are all waiting for us." Ella stands up and they all disappear and appear coated in front of the others.

"Smooth work there. Think you have learnt that from me, sweetheart." Regina tells her as they all head towards the door to walk to Grannies.

Later on Regina and Ella are sitting in a booth as the others are mingling with the rest of the locals.

"Are you really happy here? Is the pull off the big city not happening right now?" Regina asks' Ella as she takes a hold of her hand.

"I am really happy because this is my family. You and me we've been apart for far too long. I wished I had listened to everything that Grandpa had said about you that there are always reasons behind every action. Looking at you now I don't see the Evil Queen anymore, I see Regina the mayor, the friend, the girlfriend, the stepmother and mother. My mother."

The end x x


End file.
